X suspends 13,000 accounts linked to Iran, China and Russia 'targeting US politics'

Social media platform X says it has recently identified and suspended more than 13,000 accounts involved in three suspected foreign influence operations, linked to Iran, Russia and China, that targeted US “political conversation”. The company did not specify how many accounts were linked to each of the three countries. In a post on the platform, X’s Global Government Affairs said the networks “used inauthentic accounts to post and amplify content about US politics, targeting candidates and public figures across the political spectrum”. X said its Safety team uses a variety of detection methods to proactively find and act on activity that breaks its rules, as the platform prepares for the upcoming 2026 US midterms. The company said its Authenticity Policy is central to this work, whether the target is spam networks or entities engaged in influence operations. People come to X to talk about what's happening in the world, including the upcoming 2026 US midterms. Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and we are proud that X is the global town square where these debates happen. Our job is to keep that conversation authentic, open, and safe. To ensure these fundamental values are protected during elections, our Safety team uses a variety of detection methods to proactively find and act on activity that breaks the X Rules. These measures build on the safety protections we run 24/7, year-round. X's Authenticity Policy is particularly important to this work. Whether it is spam networks or entities engaged in influence operations, we are actively working to identify and stop coordinated inauthentic behavior that undermines the integrity of our platform. Through proactive sweeps and investigations, X recently identified and suspended more than 13,000 accounts involved in three suspected foreign influence operations linked to Iran, Russia, and China that targeted US political conversation. The networks used inauthentic accounts to post and amplify content about US politics, targeting candidates and public figures across the political spectrum. X's Civic Integrity policy addresses misleading content that could affect participation in elections or other civic processes. This includes content that may confuse people about how, when, or where to participate, or that aims to discourage participation. X relies on Community Notes, which let people add context and credible sources, alongside platform moderation. Users can report content under "Civic Integrity" in our in-app reporting flow, and their submission will be routed to request a Community Note, a collaborative way to add helpful context to posts and keep people better informed. Additionally, in critical escalations, X may apply a Civic Integrity label to posts that violate our policy. We remain committed to X as a global town square where people openly debate topics of public interest and engage with election-related information. Our work continues through Election Day and beyond. See our Civic Integrity Policy for more information: https://t.co/FJFuvEC9RE — Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) October 14, 2026