Keep Threads or lose Instagram
Instagram’s Twitter competitor — Threads — went live on Thursday, 6 July 2023, and its supplementary privacy policy contains fine print that could frustrate users.
Meta Platforms, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, essentially takes your Instagram account hostage when you sign up for Threads, and you won’t be able to leave the Twitter competitor without erasing your Instagram profile.
“You may deactivate your Threads profile at any time, but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account,” the policy reads.
However, it does offer the ability to temporarily disable your Threads account without losing access to Instagram.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the company is working on a way to delete Threads accounts without deleting Instagram profiles.
“To clarify, you can deactivate your Threads account, which hides your Threads profile and content, you can set your profile to private, and you can delete individual Threads posts — all without feeling your Instagram account,” he said in a post on Threads.
“Threads is powered by Instagram, so right now it’s just one account, but we’re looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately.”
He also said they are bringing chronological feeds options — similar to those offered on Instagram and Facebook — to Threads.
Currently, users can only sign up for Threads using their Instagram profile and the app is built on a similar platform.
The app was added to the Apple App Store on 4 July 2023, before its launch on 6 July.
Although Threads is a standalone app, it directly ports over Instagram followers and following lists.
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” its App Store description reads.
Threads offers similar interactions to Instagram, including liking, sending, reposting, or commenting on posts.
Users can also choose which audience they want to interact with posts, with options for everyone, people they follow, or only those mentioned in the post.
Meta chief product officer Chris Cox called the app Meta’s response to Twitter, while also taking a jab at its owner Elon Musk.
“We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution,” he reportedly said in an internal meeting.
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