For all of Zuckerberg’s bluster about his Twitter-killing clone called Threads, it may end up being a nothing-burger if users figure out how much personal data is being sucked out of their mobile devices used to access the platform. Zuck is a consummate Technocrat who sees no issue with hoovering up your data in return for using his free app.⁃ TN Editor
Meta claims that over 10 million people had signed up for its Twitter competitor, Threads, in what CEO Mark Zuckerberg framed as a “friendly” alternative to the little blue bird.
“Let’s do this. Welcome to Threads,” wrote Zuckerberg in his first post on the app, which is a “text-based conversation app” where users can publish posts up to 500 characters long, and allows people to post links, photos and videos.
Threads is directly linked to Meta-owned Instagram, which has over 2 billion users. The Twitter competitor is being rolled out in over 100 countries for iOS and Android.
“The goal is to keep it friendly as it expands. I think it’s possible and will ultimately be the key to its success,” wrote Zuckerberg in a Wednesday post, casting the service as a more wholesome substitute to Twitter. “That’s one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently.”
Meanwhile, data privacy and censorship concerns have emerged, with former Twitter owner Jack Dorsey highlighting the vast amount of data collected by Threads.
All your Threads are belong to us https://t.co/FfrIcUng5O pic.twitter.com/V7xbMOfINt
— jack (@jack) July 4, 2023
As journalist Michael Shellenberger notes,
Within a few hours of launching, Threads was already secretly censoring users and not offering them the right to appeal.
Meta is already too powerful. One company controls what much of the public is allowed to see. And if Threads succeeds, it will have 80% of the global market outside of Russia and China, according to one industry insider. As such, it’s reasonable to expect that Meta will censor precisely the same way the large news media corporations, including the New York Times, and corporate advertisers want it to. More censorship is what the mainstream news media, big corporations, and their celebrity pitch people have been demanding.
…additionally, Unlike Twitter, Threads collects data about “Health & Fitness,” “Financial Info,” “Sensitive Info,” and “Other Data.”
What’s ‘other data’?
Shellenberger further noted that within hours of launching, Threads was already secretly censoring users and not offering them the right to appeal.
.@meta /IG just released their new threads platform and I’ve been informed by multiple users that I’m censored on their new platform.
Sheesh, can’t a dude catch a break.@elonmusk doesn’t have me censored pic.twitter.com/WevfHx04qw
— Derek Utley (@realDerekUtley) July 6, 2023
Just downloaded and signed up for the new Meta app “Threads” meant to imitate Twitter
I posted once about wanting to expose Biden’s corrupt government and they’ve already flagged me for censorship
Great platform Zuck pic.twitter.com/2RhusHRo7v
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) July 6, 2023
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