X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, said it has suspended roughly 13,000 accounts it identified as part of coordinated networks seeking to influence political discussion in the United States ahead of the midterm elections.
In an announcement, the company said the networks targeted US political debate “across the spectrum,” indicating the activity was aimed at multiple sides of political discourse rather than a single party or viewpoint. X attributed the suspensions to efforts it described as foreign influence operations.
The move underscores the continued focus on online manipulation and the role of major platforms in policing coordinated inauthentic behaviour ahead of high-stakes political events. Social networks have faced heightened scrutiny over how they detect, label and remove accounts that may be linked to state or non-state actors attempting to shape public debate.
Platform moderation ahead of elections often raises competing concerns about the integrity of information and the protection of free expression. X’s announcement is likely to prompt further questions from policymakers, election observers and civil society groups about the scope of the operation, the methods used to identify the accounts, and what steps, if any, the company shared with authorities.
X did not provide extensive public detail in its initial statement about the origins of the networks or the specific tactics used, but said the suspended accounts had been removed as part of its enforcement actions. The company’s action comes as US officials and technology firms continue to grapple with how to prevent foreign interference while maintaining openness on digital platforms.