Why deleting Threads account could be disastrous for Instagram users

Threads is currently biggest competitor to billionaire Elon Musk’s Twitter — which he bought for $44 billion last year

Web Desk

July 06, 2023

This illustration created in Washington, DC, on July 5, 2023, shows Threads, an Instagram app, on the App Store, in front of the logos of Instagram and Threads. — AFP

Over 22 million users have signed up for Meta’s new text-based social media platform Threads since its release Wednesday, which can be only accessed through a preexisting Instagram account; however, if you wish to delete your Threads account you would have to think more than twice.

If you do so, your Instagram account will cease to exist.

In a "Supplemental Privacy Policy," Meta explained that “you may deactivate your Threads profile at any time, but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.”

Meta further stated that a Threads profile is part of the user’s Instagram account.

People were caught in amazement after learning about this policy of the social media giant which may anger some users and refrain several to not opt for Threads as a Twitter alternative.

Threads is currently the biggest competitor to the billionaire Elon Musk’s Twitter — which he bought for $44 billion last year.

Several other Twitter challengers came to the fore but could not secure the number of users as Threads got.

CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. — Reuters

The app was released to the public in 100 countries at 7:00pm EDT Wednesday and would not carry ads temporarily.

Instagram, the most popular photo-sharing app with more than 2 billion users, is linked with Threads.

While writing on his official account on Threads, Facebook founder Zuckerberg wrote Thursday: "10 million sign-ups in seven hours."

Some accounts were already active for celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Hugh Jackman as well as media outlets including The Washington Post and The Economist.

The CEO of Meta spent his time during the platform's launch replying to new users.

Facebook founder and CEO of Threads owner Meta Mark Zuckerberg speaks in San Jose, California, US. — Reuters/File

"One thing that's up is the number of world champion MMA fighters on Threads, especially now that you're here!" he wrote in a reply to American MMA fighter Jon Jones.

"Round one of this thing is getting off to a good start," he said in another.

In his first tweet in over a decade, Zuckerberg posted a Spiderman pointing at Spiderman meme in an apparent reference to the similarity of the two platforms.

Back on Threads, he wrote: "It'll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully, we will."