Threads, Meta’s new social media app, has signed up 100 million new users less than a week since its launch last Wednesday, making it the fastest growing app in history.Like other social media apps, users likely barely scanned − or completely skipped − the terms and conditions for what information Threads can collect, share, and sell about them.There is likely a lot of information Meta already had about users since Threads is built upon its Instagram platform.So, how much does Threads already know about and what can it do with that data? Here are a few reasons to be concerned about your privacy.
What information does Threads collect?
Social media platforms monetize user data by selling relevant ads based on your location and activity, but, along with the usual app privacy requests like browsing history and location data, Threads is also asking for financial info, health and fitness data, diagnostics, and a nefarious-sounding “sensitive info.”Many users have voiced concern over Threads for its 14-point list of data permissions you’re granting Meta to use the app. Twitter, by comparison, has 10 of these.”I would say it’s at the outer boundaries of what’s usually expected, which is to be expected from its connection to Facebook, a brand long-known for being especially hungry to take in user data and commercialize it in different ways,” says Dan Ackerman, the newly minted Editor-in-Chief at Gizmodo, a leading technology, science, and culture news publication.Android users can toggle off some of the data requests from the app, while the Apple App Store is “more take-it-or-leave it,” Ackerman said.”It also doesn’t help that there’s no browser-based fully functional version of Threads right now, and so you have to use the app version,” he said.Meta declined my request for comment and clarification.
Is Threads data collection worse than Twitter?
It’s not necessarily malicious, suggests Tim Bajarin, a veteran technology analyst and Chairman of the San Jose, California-based market research firm Creative Strategies. “Users should know this Threads data list is pulled directly from Instagram, and it’s all tied to their advertising engine when they start to monetize Threads.” “When you sign off on financial info, for example, they’re not looking at your bank statements, or anything,” said Bajarin.Rather, Threads collects what you’re posting about and liking, where you are, and if you bought something through a third-party site, app or game that you logged into using your connected Facebook/Instagram ID (usually to avoid creating a new password altogether).Bajarin said users are granting Meta access for future advertising.”Meta isn’t giving you a free app out of the goodness of their heart − they’re there to make money, which is mostly from advertising,” says Bajarin.Threads can collect and save this information, and the data can also be shared with third-party services that connect to your Threads profile.
Can you deactivate Threads?
Yes, but you cannot delete it without also deleting Instagram, confirms Bajarin.”Meta built [Threads] on the Instagram infrastructure, on top of the program itself, and so it would be very difficult to uninstall one and not both – at least the way it’s engineered today.” “They could eventually be spun out to be completely separate apps,” adds Bajarin.To deactivate (but not delete your Threads account), Adam Mosseri − the Instagram boss who now spearheads the Threads app – says you can choose to hide your Threads profile and content, delete individual threads posts, and set your profile to private, as reported by USA TODAY contributor Jennifer Jolly.”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 posted.Ackerman said the fact Threads is built on Instagram is actually a boon for Meta and users, “as it’s especially easy to sign up for, has no wait list, and is simple to use,” he believes. But “in order to delete your Threads account after you sign up, you’ll need to delete your Instagram account, as well, which reminds me of the difficulty people had deleting their Facebook accounts in the past, and how there was a lot of fine print about what data Facebook would keep unless you jumped through extra hoops.”
Is the Threads app safe?
Threads is asking for more permissions than Twitter, so it boils down to your comfort level.While some of the privacy permissions seem ludicrous – granting Threads access to health and activity data and other “sensitive info” on a smartphone just seems wrong – no one is forcing users to install and use Threads, or any other social media app that monetizes its free platform by delivering personalized, contextual advertisements to you.While Threads is available in more than 100 countries, perhaps it’s no surprise it isn’t available in the Europe Union just yet, as Meta was forced to pay more than $400 million by EU regulators for forcing users to accept targeted ads.Personally, I am using and enjoying Threads quite a bit, but wish there was more clarity about how my data is collected and used. And I’m disappointed Meta declined to clarify things.I select “Ask not to track” on all iPhone apps, to reduce an app’s visibility into my web browsing activity, and I have a virtual private network (VPN) on my computer for extra privacy, but perhaps it’s true there is nothing truly free in this world – it’s just up to each person to decide if the cost is worth it.