this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2023
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Very sly of meta in deed

top 21 comments
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[–] Regna 57 points 1 year ago

From the article: Meta’s supplemental privacy policy states, “You may deactivate your Threads profile at any time, but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.”

I interpret it as that you can't delete your Threads profile, unless you delete your Instagram account. So it's not as if you try to delete your Threads account and oopsie your Insta is gone as well... same, but still different.

[–] Kbobabob 41 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Can we get it to nuke your Facebook account too?

[–] Bushwhack 3 points 1 year ago
[–] Saneless 3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, like thanks for making this easier

[–] FlyingSquid 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Surrender your privacy to Meta forever or else.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I will take or else, please.

[–] phillycodehound 10 points 1 year ago

Not exactly. The only way to delete Threads is to delete Instagram.

[–] faltuuser 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] lemmydalemming 1 points 1 year ago

Exactly 💯

[–] dan1101 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This sort of thing is exactly why I never seriously considered their VR headset even though the price/performance seems good.

[–] iturnedintoanewt 1 points 1 year ago

There never was a way to use it without a meta account, right?

[–] StaticElectricity 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

People are overreacting. It is linked to your Instagram account, so it makes sense. You can still deactivate your Threads account if you don't want to use it but want to keep Instagram.

[–] EldritchSpellingBee 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I don't think it is an overreaction. There is a reason Meta won't allow Threads accounts to be deleted without also deleting your Instagram account. They are holding people hostage in a sense. It is a deliberate move, and there is no reason they couldn't disassociate a Threads account from an Instagram account and delete it. Hell, no need to even disassociate it at all.

Isn't a major reassurance from Eugen, and others who also signed Meta's NDA, that you can move your account from Threads? How is that truly possible if they don't let you delete the account without also deleting your Instagram account?

This is the type of malignant and anti-open behavior we can expect from Meta. And they are doing it right out of the gate, before they even embrace ActivityPub as they rush to capitalize on Twitter's mess.

I stand by my previous statements: Meta's vision of Threads is to suck up as much growth in our community, then wall it off with tactics like the above, all while embracing open standards.

It isn't like we don't see it happen elsewhere. Google did it with their "proprietarization" of RCS. Google promoted its growth and adoption, then slammed the door shut. That is why Signal and others do not have RCS; Google refuses to allow competitors to have access to it. They've walled it off. Only preferred partners, like Samsung, are allowed to dabble in it now. And so, too, will Meta go that route with ActivityPub if we let them.

[–] StaticElectricity 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Maybe I am too optimistic for my own good lol, but I honestly just think they developed this as fast as they could when they saw the writing on the wall about Twitter. Threads IS Instagram, it was easier and faster to develop this way instead of starting from scratch. That's why deleting one would delete the other.

Edit: I just wanted to clarify I am in no way defending Meta and I don't even have an Instagram account. It's just the way I see it but I admit I can be wrong about this. We'll see what happens in the coming months/years.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Threads IS Instagram,

Exactly. It's just like how Facebook Messenger is Facebook. You can't delete one account without deleting the other.

[–] Tag365 1 points 1 year ago

What even is RCS?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Well thank fuck I don't use either then.

As it is I only have a Facebook proper account for Messenger since so many people I know use it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I'd be creating new account for that garbage anyway..

[–] SomeoneElse -1 points 1 year ago

I made an account last to check it out but I created a new Instagram first so there’s no link to my name/real email etc. I assume that’s what most people will do if they want to be anonymous.