For users of Threads, all of your personal information is “fair game” for Meta, according to a Virginia Tech privacy expert.
New users signing up for Threads, Meta’s response to Twitter, should be aware of the app’s data collection capabilities.
“Threads collects user data across 25 different categories, surpassing Twitter’s data collection capabilities,” said Donna Wertalik, a professor of practice in marketing for the Pamplin College of Business.
For more than 10 years, Wertalik’s research has focused on the growing importance of information privacy. She is also the co-host of Voices of Privacy, a digital initiative which raises awareness of information privacy issues on different platforms including the web, social media and smartphones.
Wertalik is watching Threads closely and says the current state of the app is similar to Twitter in 2007.
Because the social media platform is so new, there are privacy concerns – specifically when it comes to your data.
Threads launched in more than 100 countries on July 6, but not the European Union due to privacy concerns tied to two recent rulings. Some of the data Meta can collect on its users includes location, contact information, contacts, user content (photos, videos and messages), search history and purchase history.
Tips for users of Threads app
- Decide whether to make your account public or private. This allows the user to control who sees their content.
- Understand Threads policy for deleting your account. Meta’s policy prohibits users from deleting their Threads profile without also deleting their Instagram account. Most apps you can delete, and Wertalik says a policy that forces the consumer to delete both has never been done.
- Walk through all settings in the app. This will allow the user to in some cases limit what data is collected by the company and third-party users. There are seven settings that limit what you see on the app. Two of them limit accessibility to your posted content by other users. Since the app is connected to Instagram, your privacy choices should apply there too.
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Published date: July 10, 2023 | 12:20 pm
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Crystal Graham
