‘It’s a Saw Trap!’ Meta Threads users are shocked to discover they can’t delete their account without deleting their whole Instagram too
- Threads users cannot delete their accounts unless Instagram is deleted too
- Guidance suggests that Threads accounts can be temporarily deactivated
- Follow the Daily Mail on Threads
Meta’s ‘Twitter-killer’ app Threads has certainly caught the world’s attention – racking up 50 million signups in its 24 hours.
But users have been shocked to discover that deleting their new social media account may come at an unexpected cost.
While a profile can be temporarily deactivated on the app, permanently deleting it requires sacrificing Instagram too – with both platforms intertwined.
Instead, Instagram’s guidance suggests that ‘you can always delete individual posts’, set a profile as private or just block other users.
News of this has triggered a wave of complaints on Twitter, with one user even describing Threads as a ‘saw trap’.
Threads users have been shocked to discover that deleting their new social media account may come at an unexpected cost
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Fake accounts and misinformation could crop up following the huge launch of Threads
They wrote: ‘We can’t delete our threads account without deleting our IG?? they knew ppl would instantly hate it so they made it a saw trap.’
Another said: ‘I deactivated my threads account already but it turns out you can’t delete your threads account *without also deleting your Instagram account* so maybe just don’t sign up.’
Someone else chimed in: ‘Wish I’d known that. Guess I’ll just deactivate if I decide I don’t want it then’, while another added: ‘Thanks for the warning. Never gonna create a threads account, then.’
User concerns come less than two days after the launch of Threads – a new microblogging app created by Mark Zuckerberg’s firm Meta.
The text-based conversation platform is linked to Instagram, with users able to follow accounts they are already interested in on the photo-sharing app.
But many similarities have also been drawn to Elon Musk’s Twitter, based on its use of thread-like posts that allow users to publicly share their opinions.
It is this likeness that has driven Musk to threaten Zuckerberg with legal action, accusing Threads of using Twitter’s ‘trade secrets’.
Amid the frenzy, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, took to Threads to clarify the situation surrounding account deletion.
Follow the Daily Mail on Threads
News of this has triggered a wave of complaints on Twitter, with many users left concerned over the permanence of their new online profiles
‘I’ve been getting some questions about deleting your account,’ he said.
‘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 deleting your Instagram account.
‘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.’
In a separate post, Mr Mosseri added that it would ‘take time’ to introduce other features to Threads that are currently missing.
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, clarified the situation surrounding of account deletion
‘The real test is not if we can build up a lot of hype, but if you all find enough value in the app to keep using it over time,’ he wrote.
‘And there are tons of basics that are missing: search, hashtags, a following feed, graph syncing, fedverse support, messaging maybe…
‘We’re on it. The (amazing) team is cranking away. But full disclosure, it’ll take time.’
Meta hosts more than three billion users across its various apps, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
While it’s early days for Threads, signups have now surpassed 50 million.
Follow the Daily Mail on Threads
What is Threads? Everything you need to know about Zuckerberg’s Twitter rival – and what it means for Elon
What is Threads?
Threads is a new microblogging app that was launched by Meta Platforms at 7pm EST and at midnight in the UK.
It is a text-based conversation platform which is linked to Instagram, allowing users to follow accounts they are already interested in on the photo-sharing platform.
Users can share their point of view in thread-like posts that appear very similar to tweets.
‘Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,’ the App Store’s description reads.
‘Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.’
Threads is currently available for pre-order for users aged 12+ on the App Store
The app is available in 31 different languages, including but not limited to English, Traditional Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
Location and browser history is used to make Threads function, according to Meta’s terms of service.
What does it mean for Elon Musk?
Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads comes just days after Elon Musk announced a temporary cap on how many posts a user can read on Twitter.
Now, Twitter users who chalk up the $8 a month to become a verified user can view up to 6,000 daily tweets.
Unverified users can see up to 600 tweets a day, and new unverified accounts can see up to 300 tweets a day.
Threads is likely to be a huge source of competition between Zuckerberg and Musk, with the pair already agreeing to a physical fight last month.
In a tweet earlier this week, Musk appeared to take a swipe at the new platform.
‘Thank goodness they’re so sanely run,’ he wrote in response to a group of Thread screenshots.
Users will be able to share their point of view in thread-like posts that appear very similar to tweets
What personal data will Threads collect?
Threads collects 14 different types of data that may be linked to your identity.
Alongside location and browser history, this includes financial information, purchase history and even health data.
The App Store also suggests that identifiers and ‘sensitive information’ are collected too, in addition to personal contact data.
But data use can vary depending on your use of the features on offer.
A full list of its data collection is below:
- Health and Fitness
- Financial Information
- Contact Information
- User Content
- Browsing History
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
- Purchases
- Location
- Contacts
- Search History
- Identifiers
- Sensitive Information
- Other Data
How and when can you download it?
Threads is free and is currently available for pre-order for users aged 12 and above on Apple’s App Store.
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