Zuckerberg traps Instagram users into signing Threads which they can’t delete

New Delhi, July 6

Meta's Twitter rival Threads, that amassed more than 1 crore users in a span of just seven hours, will not let you delete the account as once you try to remove Threads, you will also lose your Instagram account.

In a 'Supplemental Privacy Policy,' Meta said that "You may deactivate your Threads profile at any time, but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account."

According to the social network, a Threads profile is an integral part of the user’s Instagram account. Instagram currently has more than 2 billion users globally and Threads, touted as a 'Twitter killer' is available in 100 countries, including in India, is billed as the next Twitter killer.

"Threads app stands out from other Twitter challengers by tapping into a ready user base potentially migrating from Instagram on Day Zero. With Mark Zuckerberg's proven execution skills, Threads has the potential to become a breakthrough alternative to Twitter," Prabhu Ram, head of Industry Intelligence Group (IIG) at CyberMedia Research (CMR), told IANS.

Even if they capture just a fraction of the Instagram user base, as little as a quarter, Threads could rival Twitter in audience size.

"While focusing on user growth initially, Threads is poised to attract advertisers as its user base expands,” said Ram. Some top brands like Netflix, Amazon, NFL and Pepsi have expressed their vote of confidence in Threads by signing up to the app, according to reports.

Similar to Instagram, with Threads, users can follow and connect with friends and creators who share their interests, including the people they follow on Instagram.

Moreover, users under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) will be defaulted into a private profile when they join the app. Users can also control who can mention them or reply to them within Threads. Like on Instagram, users can add hidden words to filter out replies to their threads that contain specific words. They can also unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu, and any accounts they have blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads.