The newly-minted
Threads app has created a social media stir, and one of the immediate concerns was the ability to delete one's profile.
Meta Platforms abruptly released the Twitter-style app this week and users noticed that, as of this writing, one cannot delete their profile, unless they also delete their Instagram profile.
The primary way of signing up for Threads was through a user's existing Instagram profile, giving the option to import followers and those following, in the process.
Account settings for deleting the Threads app.
When going through the settings, the app states, "Some settings, like deleting your account, apply to both Threads and Instagram and can be managed on Instagram."
When users posted about the app-deleting terms, Meta's Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, said, "This was an edge case, we are currently fixing it."
Meta recently launched an attempt to create synergy across its platforms with its "Accounts Center," which allows users to control their profiles on Facebook and Instagram. As of now, there does not seem to be a space for Threads profile controls, outside of its direct connection to Instagram accounts.
Like on Instagram, there is an option to "deactivate" profiles, although it is a temporary measure. User profiles and activity can be hidden with the deactivation, but the profile still technically exists. Users can easily log back into their Threads profile to reactivate it.
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, later addressed the deletion issue, stating that they are "looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately."
Post by @threadsapp
View on Threads
While an option for full profile deletion may be in progress, the inability to permanently disconnect from the app has kept users from taking the plunge.
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In an almost immediate response to Threads, Twitter's Attorney Alex Spiro reportedly sent a letter to the Twitter copycat, accusing Meta of hiring two of its former employees to help build the new app.
A Meta spokesperson then posted a thread, saying, "No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee — that’s just not a thing.
As of Friday, July 7, Threads has amassed more than 70 million users.
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