In today's world, staying connected with our close friends and loved ones has become more important than ever. Amidst volatile changes in Twitter’s strategy and user base, Meta has recently launched a new app called "Threads" as a direct competitor to Twitter. Designed as a companion app to Instagram, Threads aims to facilitate private and intimate communication between users and their close friends.

Threads has also become a subject of increasing concern among users due to its data collection practices. These concerns echo the worries surrounding Meta's Facebook and Instagram, both known for their extensive data collection including personal data, facial recognition, geolocation data, and more. In this blog, we delve into the privacy concerns surrounding Threads, shedding light on its data collection practices and the reasons behind the controversy.

Controversy Strikes: Threads' Privacy Concerns Take Center Stage:

The privacy concerns surrounding Threads are significant, given the sheer magnitude of data it collects. In fact, the app is still awaiting approval from the European Union, which prides itself on having some of the strictest data privacy rules in the world.

According to the Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy, the platform takes in a wide array of user information, ranging from the mundane to the intricate. Your name, email address, activity logs, posts, and the way your followers and other users interact with your profile all fall into Threads' data collection basket. But that's not all - the platform is also keen on acquiring information about your interactions with third-party services and users, including details such as your username, profile picture, and even your IP address.

It diligently collects and receives data about the devices you use to access the platform and your behaviors while using them. And this treasure trove of data isn't just for Threads' eyes. It's shared with other users and third-party services connected to your Threads profile.

Meta claims that it uses this data mainly to enhance the user experience across its platforms. However, through iOS disclosures, we've discovered that Threads has an appetite for more sensitive material, such as your financial data, health-related tidbits, and even your search history, courtesy of  cookies. Remember how Meta's Facebook had to pay out over $400 million in privacy fines imposed by the European Union? It’s likely that Threads would face similar penalties if rolled out in the EU, potentially explaining the limited geographic rollout. 

Conclusion:

Threads' privacy concerns have ignited a fiery debate, thanks to its extensive data collection practices. With Threads,  Meta continues to extensively collect data on its users, with very limited transparency.  If and when you join Threads, don't forget to acquaint yourself with the platform's censorship and NSFW policy. After all, it's always better to know the rules of the game before you start playing.