Threads was launched on July 5, 2023, and has soon become popular — over a million people joined the app within an hour. The early success of this social media app is due to perfect timing when Twitter was struggling, but Threads offers the quality that social media users need.
As users drastically increased, several individuals became concerned regarding the app’s privacy and data collection policies. If you’re one of them, you’re at the right place. Learn everything you need to know about the Thread’s privacy concerns, the controversy about its account deletion, and how you can safely sign up for this platform.
What is Threads?
Threads is a social media app created by Instagram that works similarly to Twitter. Here, people come together to discuss everything they want, from the topics you care about today to what will be trending tomorrow. You can post about your points of view, engage with your followers, and do as many similar things as you can on Twitter.
On Threads, you can create posts for up to 500 words or videos of up to 5 minutes, which is greater than Twitter’s post (280 words) limit and video length limit (2 minutes 20 seconds limit).
Threads is similar to a mini-blogging site, unlike Instagram, where people mostly share photos, videos, and reels. The social platform is available for download on both mobile phones (iOS and Android) and desktops.
Things You Must Know About Threads
Your Followers are Already There
Threads break the world by gaining over 100 million users within a week. If you are a celebrity or a social media influencer, there’s a high chance that many of your followers are already available on Threads. So, there’s no need to wait to build a new audience on Threads.
Better Posts than Twitter
The platform allow users to write up to 500 characters, almost double Twitter’s character limit. This helps users write a comprehensive post and provides all the required information, preventing them from digging through all the previous posts.
Easy-to-use Interface
Threads offer similar buttons under each post, like Instagram. If you are an active Instagram user, using this platform will be so easy for you, and you won’t face any difficulty posting on this app.
- The heart symbol is to “Like” the post.
- A quote bubble on Instagram is for comments, but on Threads, it is for direct reply to someone.
- A repost button under the Threads post allows users to repost it on their Threads account by adding their thoughts.
- The paper airplane symbol on Instagram is to share the post with others. While on Threads it is for sharing posts on various social media platforms like Instagram.
Share Content from Threads to Instagram
As Threads is similar to Instagram, it allows users to share their posts on Instagram. You can share your Threads post on Instagram by tapping on the paper airplane symbol and selecting “Add to the story.” It will redirect you to your Instagram, and you can post it on your story with some basic edits.
Automatic Blue Verification
Instagram users with a blue verification tick don’t need to panic about applying for another one on Threads. The app will automatically reward you with a “Blue verification tick” if you have it already on Instagram.
Avoid Fake or Duplicate Accounts
If you are texting with someone and that person claims to be someone you know or a celebrity or more. You can verify their authenticity by going to their Instagram profile. There, you will find a Threads link, which, on clicking, will take you to the Threads profile of that Instagram user.
Ad-free Scrolling
Currently, Threads doesn’t offer any ads or monetization, but there is a high chance that it will start offering ads in the future. For now, enjoy using this platform without ads.
The Perfect Rival of Twitter
Threads hit 122 million users in just a few days. It has beaten OpenAI’s record, which took almost two months to achieve this number. But what are the reasons behind this success? Let’s break it down.
When Elon Musk announced that he would acquire Twitter, people thought it would be a game-changer. Unfortunately, things took a wrong turn, started going on the other side, and became part of controversies, causing the advertisers and users to leave the app. One reason behind these problems was limiting the number of daily tweets.
The above reasons disillusioned the users, who began searching for Twitter’s alternative offering better features than it. Luckily, Threads remained successful in fulfilling those needs.
After the launch of Threads in July, many Twitter users moved to this platform, resulting in a 5% drop in Twitter’s traffic just after two days of Threads’ launch. In addition, the decrease was 11%, according to Twitter’s traffic stats of 2022.
A report shows that American Twitter users want to try its alternative app, Threads. In addition, many users suggested that they will or had moved all their activities from Twitter to Threads, which is bad news for Twitter.
The rising number of Twitter users moving to Threads is the major cause of the platform’s financial situation. According to the previous year, Twitter lost 59% of its advertisers, putting the platform in a precarious position. Meta’s Thread has shaken social media. Because of the rapid ascent, Threads attract users and advertisers, and according to a projection, it can make up to $8 billion from ad revenue by 2025.
Threads’ initial success undoubtedly deserves applause, but its ability to sustain itself in the industry for the long term doesn’t seem good enough. This is due to the controversies, challenges, and privacy policies the app faces.
There is a high probability that Twitter will enhance its privacy policies and come back with additional features to beat Threads and take its position back. However, it is just a projection; the reality is yet to be confirmed.
Threads: Data Sharing Controversy and Privacy Concerns
Before signing up for Threads, remember that Meta is the app’s parent company and has a bad history of controversies about privacy and data sharing concerns. Therefore, be careful before signing up.
Introducing Targeted Advertising
Threads doesn’t offer ads right now, but we know it’s Meta’s application, and Meta mostly generates revenue by selling ads. Critics predict Threads will introduce targeted advertising soon, like on other Meta applications, i.e., Instagram and Facebook.
Like other Meta applications, Threads has similar privacy policies and collects extensive user data. Predictions are that this data collection will be used for personalized recommendations and targeted advertising. However, this massive data collection without the users’ consent raises questions regarding the app’s privacy policies and for what purposes it collects this data.
Threads provide some insights into users’ data to Meta, including their engagement with posts and accounts they follow. However, the app’s privacy policy states that the content you like or interact with, you will get more similar to it. It also says that Threads can access your location, photos, camera, microphone, device details, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IP information, and more.
When we combine this information, it makes a pile of data regarding a specific person.
Threats Due to Meta’s Ecosystem
The connection between Threads and Meta’s ecosystem, which includes other platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, increases the risk of unauthorized access or misuse of personal information. As these platforms are interconnected, they have become more invasive in user privacy and share that data with multiple devices.
Third-party Data Transfer
Another cause to worry about your data while using Meta’s application is that it shares your important data with other third-party applications or companies. These third-party platforms either have low data privacy or work in countries with strict data privacy rules.
European Union Ban on Threads
Before signing up for Threads, it is crucial to recognize that the platform is banned in the European Union (EU). It bans it under the Digital Markets Act (DCA), which deals with the user’s data sharing across various platforms. Threads fails the DCA policies, so the EU postpones Meta’s Threads launch in the region.
However, the hype about this application is so massive that people are using high-end VPNs to access Threads from the region. This leads to a demand for a top-quality VPN like ExtremeVPN among European Union users who want to access the app. They look for a VPN that offers multiple servers across the globe and can unblock geo-restricted platforms.
Meta has started blocking users’ traffic using VPN to access Threads because it wants to show the EU its willingness to address the problems regarding the app’s ban. However, Meta was focusing on a wider business model. Despite blocking the VPN traffic, the EU will not unban the application because it want Meta to make substantial changes.
What it’s Like to Delete a Threads Account?
Deleting a Threads account is a significant problem, and it’s no less than a challenge for users. There’s no chance you can remove your Threads account without deleting the whole Instagram account linked with it.
However, the application and Meta never told users about account deletion policies before signing up for this platform. Many people take this as a threat and raise questions about it. Let’s say you still want to keep your Instagram account; Threads only offers to deactivate your account, which is temporary.
Moreover, Threads has ties with Mastodon, and users must be aware that Meta controls most of their personal data available on the internet. If you have a Mastodon account, when you post something on Threads, your followers on Mastodon can also see it, even after you leave Threads. In addition, the data that Meta gathers while you are using Threads will remain under its ownership.
Are You Still Interested in Joining Threads? Maybe Wait Until it’s Safer
As discussed above, Threads and Meta are going through several controversies regarding data collection and distribution among third parties. Therefore, examining the platform’s practices is mandatory before joining it.
If you are a person who cares about privacy and security, then you shouldn’t sign up for Threads now. The platform is safe for businesses using it for their brand presence because they don’t ideally link their personal data with it.
Meta should consider the following measures to make Threads more private and safer for users.
- Transparency on Data Collection and Usage: The parent company should provide its users with clear information regarding data collection, reasons behind the collection, and third-party sharing. Every user should have the right to restrict Meta from gathering the data they don’t want.
- Challenging Account Deletion Process: The account deletion process on Threads is challenging and complicated, as users must delete their Instagram account first to delete it. The process should be straightforward, like the account deletion process on Facebook or Instagram. This measure is necessary because nobody wants to delete the Instagram account they have used for a while.
- Enhanced Safety Features: Meta’s Threads should offer robust security features to save users from cyberbullying, abuse, and harassment. The features must include reporting mechanisms, effective content-filtering tools, and user-blocking options.
- Regulations Governing Data Privacy: Threads and all other Meta applications should ensure that they follow GDPR compliance for data privacy. The EU will allow users to use Threads in the region when it will follow GDPR. Refusing this compliance will lead to heavy fines in the future.
How to Use Threads Safely?
Follow these measures to ensure your safety while using Threads:
Share Your Account Only with People You Know
The first step to enhance your privacy is adding people you trust on Threads and sharing the posts or content with trusted people. Set your profile to private because this will limit other users from accessing your profile and photos, and you can also restrict them from sending you messages.
Post with Caution
Be cautious before posting anything on Threads because anything you post will be visible to all users. Think twice before posting anything personal.
Use a VPN
Using a VPN to enjoy Threads is the most cost-effective and secure method of using the platform. A high-end VPN like ExtremeVPN will provide AES 256-bit data encryption, robust privacy & security, a no-logs policy, and more to keep you safe while using Threads. Meta’s application won’t access your location and IP address while using a VPN because it masks your IP address and changes your location virtually.
Create a Strong Password
Using a strong password helps you protect yourself from third parties. You can use ExtremeVPN’s Free Password Generator to create a unique and robust password for your Threads account.
Block and Report Harassers
You can use this feature if someone is making you uncomfortable or harassing you; block them immediately using Threads’ block feature. Blocked accounts will no longer text you and can’t see your posts, photos, or other content. If the case is worse, then block and report the user.
Update Your Software and Privacy Settings Regularly
Critics say that Threads will start showing ads in the future. When you start encountering ads, update the application and access the latest privacy and security settings. In addition, you can manage ads when the features drop.
FAQs
