Threads, Meta’s Twitter rival, is attracting users at an unprecedented pace, amassing 10 million signups in just seven hours, according to co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. But the new service, which requires an Instagram account for onboarding, features an intriguing stipulation: Deleting a Threads account terminates the linked Instagram account.
In a ‘Supplemental Privacy Policy,’ Meta explains: “You may deactivate your Threads profile at any time, but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.” The rationale, Meta elaborates on the policy page, is that a Threads profile is part of the user’s Instagram account.
Threads, a text-based conversation app, is the high-profile alternative to the Elon Musk-owned social media platform Twitter.
Instagram, the popular photo-sharing platform with more than 2 billion users, rolled out Threads on Wednesday to users in more than 100 countries. The app, the latest in a series of fast-growing Twitter rivals, is appearing to be the most desirable so far. Zuckerberg said on Thursday that the app had attracted 10 million signups in just seven hours.