AI agents call get-user-following to retrieve information from X without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool queries and retrieves publicly available social network information about which accounts a user follows. It performs a read-only operation with no ability to modify data, execute code, delete content, or create financial obligations. The blast radius of misuse is minimal—at worst, an agent could repeatedly query this endpoint, causing minor spam/rate-limiting issues.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get-user-following' and description 'Get accounts that a specific X user is following' indicate data retrieval with no modification or side effects.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
Get accounts that a specific X user is following. It is categorised as a Read tool in the X MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the X MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get-user-following: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches X. Nothing to install.
get-user-following is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get-user-following rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get-user-following. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
get-user-following is provided by the X MCP server (siddheshutd/x-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
get-user-following is one line of X's registry record.
The record carries the whole server: verified identity, auth posture, risk grade, every tool classified, recommended policy — re-checked continuously.
Teams ship this data inside their own products. See what a licence covers →