Buterin Says X’s New Location Feature ‘Risky’ as Crypto Users Flag Privacy Concerns

Why It Matters

The backlash highlights a clash between platform transparency initiatives and the privacy expectations of crypto participants, potentially prompting regulatory scrutiny and influencing how social media sites implement location disclosures.

Summary

Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin labeled X’s new mandatory country‑visibility feature as “risky,” echoing concerns from crypto leaders that the change threatens user privacy. Uniswap founder Hayden Adams called the rollout “mandatory doxing” and “psychotic,” while Summer.fi CTO Andrei David warned that forcing visibility without an opt‑out erodes anonymity. X’s product director Nikita Bier said users can disable the setting or switch to a broader region, but critics argue the feature still enables tracking of high‑value investors and could be abused. A minority of users, including VC Nic Carter, argue the data helps curb foreign interference in political discourse.