{
  "id": 14698667,
  "title": "X purges 13,000 accounts linked to suspected meddling ahead of US midterms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/x-purges-13-000-accounts-linked-to-suspected-meddling-ahead-of-us",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-15T12:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/10/15/x-purges-13000-accounts-linked-to-suspected-meddling-ahead-of-us-midterms/5303234"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "X has removed over 13,000 accounts tied to suspected foreign meddling in US political discussions, according to a statement posted on Wednesday evening. The platform identified the interference operations as coming from Iran, Russia, and China. These networks utilized fake accounts to disseminate and magnify political content aimed at candidates and public figures across the political landscape. The announcement precedes the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3. X emphasizes that its platform serves as a global town square for discussions on world events, including the upcoming 2026 US midterms. The company maintains that free speech is essential for a functioning democracy, and it is committed to maintaining authentic, open, and secure conversations. However, X did not disclose the specifics of the evidence supporting its attributions. The company also underscored its Civic Integrity policy, which addresses misinformation regarding voting, timing, and location, as well as content designed to dissuade voter participation. Reports submitted under Civic Integrity are directed towards Community Notes, a crowdsourced feature used alongside platform moderation. In critical cases, X may label policy-violating posts. However, Community Notes has been under scrutiny, with the European Commission initiating formal proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act in 2023, questioning the feature's effectiveness in validating post accuracy. X's approach to combating foreign influence campaigns aligns with recent changes, including layoffs and senior departures from its moderation teams following Musk's acquisition of Twitter. While foreign influence attempts are not limited to US elections, Sir Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, noted this week that Russia had attempted to interfere in the 2016 Brexit referendum, but cautioned against interpreting this as proof of altering the outcome.",
  "summary": "Platform points to Iran, Russia, and China but provides no public evidence for attribution",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "X purges 13,000 accounts linked to suspected meddling ahead of US midterms",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/x-purges-13-000-accounts-linked-to-suspected-meddling-ahead-of-us-14701216",
        "published": "2026-10-15T12:45:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}