Tag Archives: Threads

Threads Users Can Keep Their Posts Off Instagram and Facebook

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Many Threads users are now saying they have the ability to opt out of having their posts shown on Instagram and Facebook. To keep Threads posts from showing up on Meta’s other platforms, tap the two lines in the top right of the Threads app > Privacy > Suggesting pots on other apps – two switches let users turn off suggestions on Instagram or Facebook, The Verge reported.

According to The Verge, Meta tends to roll out Threads features slowly, so if you don’t see the new toggles yet, give it time.

Instagram and Facebook each got a “For you on Threads” carousel in the last few months. Responding to user grumpiness, Threads said in October it was “listening to feedback” shortly before testing the opt-out switch that’s rolling out now.

The Verge reported that the feature was clearly intended to drive engagement on Threads, as the platform seemed to be foundering after its impressive initial launch. But things look a lot better now. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on an earnings call last month that Threads now has almost 100 million monthly users. That’s still short of the “over half a billion monthly users” that Elon Musk recently claimed that X has, but its a good sign for Threads, just over four months into life.

9to5Mac reported that Meta first started showing these Threads suggestions on Facebook and Instagram in August. The carousels show Threads posts from people you’re associated with on Facebook or Instagram, with a quick link to open (or download) the Threads app and join the conversation.

“If your profile is public, your posts may be suggested on other apps so people can discover and follow you,” Meta explains.

However, this week Meta is now giving Threads users the option to opt out of having their posts appear as suggested content in Meta and Instagram.

PCMag reported that Meta undoubtedly made the decision to share posts by default on other platforms in order to drive engagement and interest in Threads while the service was new and gaining traction.

The idea being a friend of yours might see on Instagram that you’ve posted on Threads, then visit Threads for more. Testing for the feature began in August with Instagram showing Threads posts.

According to PCMag, last month, the company said its was “listening to feedback” from users who didn’t want their posts shared on Instagram and Twitter as well. The company offers a similar option on Instagram allowing you to opt in or our of sharing your posts on Facebook as well.

Personally, I find it interesting that Meta didn’t take into account that there will always be some people who join a social media app and immediately make their accounts private. This is super important for the company to recognize, and it makes sense that Meta is now allowing Threads users to opt-out of having their posts appear on Instagram and Facebook.

Meta’s Threads Is Temporarily Blocking Searches About COVID-19

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Threads, the much-hyped social media app from Facebook-parent Meta, is taking heat for blocking searches for “coronavirus,” “Covid,” and other pandemic-related queries, CNN reported.

According to CNN, the tech giant’s decision to block coronavirus-related searches on its services comes as the United States deals with a recent uptick in Covid-10 hospitalizations, per CDC data, and more than three years into the global pandemic.

News of Threads blocking searches related to the coronavirus was first reported by The Washington Post.

A Meta spokesperson told CNN that the company just began rolling out keyword search for Threads to additional countries last week.

“The search functionality temporarily doesn’t provide results for keywords that may show potentially sensitive content,” the statement added. “People will be able to search for keywords such as ‘COVID’ in future updates once we are confident in the quality of the results.”

Engadget reported that Threads is currently blocking searches for a number of “potentially sensitive” words, including “vaccines,” “covid,” and other variations of words that have been previously linked to misinformation on Meta’s platform.

According to Engadget, the limits, which were first reported by the Washington Post, are an apparent attempt to prevent controversial content from spreading on Meta’s newest app. The company has blocked number of covid and vaccine-related terms, including “covid,” “coronavirus,” “covid-19,” “vaccines” and “covid vaccines,” as well as other terms associated with potentially unsavory content like “gore,” “nude,” and “sex.”

Threads confirmed it was blocking searches in a statement to The Post, calling it a temporary measure. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram who also oversees Threads, tweeted that the company was “trying to learn from last [sic] mistakes and believe it’s better to bias towards being careful as we roll out search.”

Engadget also reported that Meta’s history shows the company has good reasons to be cautious about search on Threads. Instagram search has been widely criticized as a vector for misinformation and its ability to lead users down conspiratorial rabbit holes. The app’s search was particularly weaponized during the early days of the pandemic, when it promoted conspiracy-touting anti-vax accounts in its top results for simple queries like “vaccine” and “5g”.

The Hill reported that that a new text-based social media platform created by industry giant Meta, is now blocking terms related to COVID-19 and vaccines on its search engines.

According to The Hill, Threads rolled out its revamped search engine last week, only for users to be met with a blank screen and a pop-up linking to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website when they type terms related to “covid” or “long covid”.

Meta’s decision comes as COVID-19 has been rising in the United States; hospitalizations from the virus increased to 16 percent last week and has been steadily rising since July, according to data from the CDC.

In my opinion, social media companies have an obligation to allow users to post credible information about COVID-19. Removing terms relating to covid could be harmful to users, especially those who are immunocompromised and hoping to get a vaccine for the latest covid strain.

Twitter Traffic ‘Tanking’ As Meta’s Threads Hits 100 Million Users

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User traffic on Twitter has slowed since the launch of Meta’s text-based platform, Threads, which has already surpassed 100 million sign-ups since its debut last week, NBC News reported.

Threads announced in the U.S. on Wednesday and is being touted by Meta executives like Instagram chief Adam Mosseri as a more positive “public square” for communities “that never really embraced Twitter.” So far, users seem to be on board.

“Threads reached 100 million sign ups over the weekend. That’s mostly organic demand and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet. Can’t believe it’s only been 5 days!” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post Monday.

According to Similarweb, a data company that specializes in web analytics, web traffic to Twitter was down 5% for the first two full days Threads was generally available compared with the previous week. The company said Twitter’s web traffic is down 11% compared with the same days in 2022.

Twitter responded to CNBC’s request for comment with an automated response. Meta didn’t offer additional comment beyond Zuckerberg’s post.

The booming growth on Threads is helped by the fact that it is tied to an existing social network, Meta’s Instagram. Users can sign up with their existing handles on Instagram and are able to retain some of their following others sign up for the app.

The Guardian wrote that Twitter’s website traffic is “tanking” according to the chief of internet services company Cloudflare, amid signs users are migrating to alternative platforms such as Threads, BlueSky and Mastodon.

According to The Guardian, on Sunday, Matthew Prince posted a graph from Cloudflare’s ranking of the most popular websites in the world showing Twitter has been in decline since the start of 2023, not long after Elon Musk took over the platform.

The graph shows a significant drop in Cloudflare’s domain server ranking for Twitter in mid-2023 coincided with unpopular changes Musk made to the site, and the launch of Meta-owned rival platform Threads.

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said in a post on Threads that he believes the toxicity of Twitter – which is purported to have 250 million users – has kept the site from being successful.

While Thread aims to be a “kinder” place, research form Media Matters showed “within 24 hours of Threads’ release, right-wing and fringe figures signed up for the platform.”

According to The Guardian, some far-right accounts are testing the platform’s moderation – which adopts the same rules as Facebook and Instagram – in attempts to get banned as a badge of honor.

Personally, I’m not thrilled with Twitter anymore. That said, I’m also not interesting in jumping over to Threads or Bluesky. My “happy place” is over on Mastodon, in a server that has incredibly good moderators.