New “Twitter killer” app from Meta Less than a week after its inception, Threads, the newest social networking platform to emerge, attracted over 100 million users and is quickly dominating the market.
However, experts are raising concerns about possible privacy issues, particularly with regard to how Meta manages the data that users provide when signing up for the new service.
Privacy Concerns With Meta’s Threads App
This includes disseminating it on other platforms, such as those that do not adhere to tight data privacy laws or even have servers in China.
A promise to integrate Threads into the fediverse, a decentralized network of servers that enables member social networks, like Mastodon, to speak with one another, is buried in the terms of service.
For instance, although using separate platforms, a Threads user and a Mastodon user could communicate easily.
The advantage is that it’s possible to use an online network without ever setting up a profile or disclosing personal information. The drawback is those Threads users who have public profiles already consented to losing access.
“Please be aware that you are directing us to deliver your information to services not controlled by Meta,” Meta alerts the user after the app joins the fediverse.
Information transmitted to third-party services is no longer under Meta’s control and is now governed by their terms and conditions.
Read more: Meta Unleashes Threads App To Challenge Twitter’s Reign
Data Privacy Concerns And Challenges
The terms of service, which were carefully drafted to give Meta the maximum freedom and protection from liability, are predictably unclear about what data is exchanged. Additionally, once the data is out, people can be helpless.
There are other less well-known companies that store user data who may have servers outside of the US.
For instance, TikTok is being criticized for keeping American user data in China. Industry professionals express concern The identical problem might arise with threads that share data over diverse networks.
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