MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA: On July 6, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta officially launched Threads, a new app created by team Instagram for "sharing text updates and joining public conversations" in direct competition to Twitter. Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed the launch of the app on his channel and said that the new social media platform was created with the hope to "build an open, civil place for conversation." He also announced that Threads is available on iOS and Android in over 100 countries.
A blog by Instagram mentioned that the new app is "provided by Instagram and is part of the Instagram platform." The Threads app allows users having an Instagram account to create a Threads profile by signing up using their Instagram login. This also allows users to automatically follow all the accounts that they are already following on Instagram in Threads after they join. With over five million people already signing up for Threads, here's what happens to Instagram users whose accounts are private on the platform.
Also Read: 5 things you can't do on Instagram Threads: From infringing on IP to sharing inappropriate content
Does a private Instagram account makes a Threads profile private by default?
Having a private Instagram account does not make someone's Threads profile private by default. An individual can have a private Instagram account and keep their profile locked for personal reasons while keeping their Threads account public, if they wish to, as per The Guardian. Meanwhile, they can also make their Threads private as per their will and also choose who can reply to their posts on Threads, the publication reported.
Therefore, an Instagram user with a private Instagram account can keep their Threads account public. An Instagram user can also keep their Threads private while maintaining a public Instagram profile. They are also allowed to keep both their Instagram and Threads accounts private, as per their own choice. The privacy setting of a Threads profile determines who can see their posts.
For private Threads profile, follow request appears under "Activity," where an user can "approve or ignore them." If someone was already following a Threads user before they set their profile to private and the particular user does not want them to see their posts any longer, they can always remove them from their followers list or block them to remove them from the account.
In case of public Threads account, the profile may appear in search results and may be recommended for other people on Threads to follow. Anyone on Threads can mention a public account unless the mention settings are updated. Any person who can see a Thread on a public account can take a screenshot and share it. However, when a public Threads profile appears in search engine results, only the profile information is visible, including name, username, profile picture, bio and links.
What happens to Threads users below 16 years of age?
While Meta allows users to keep their Instagram and Threads account private or public in accordance to their own will, the rule does not apply to any user who is below 16 years of age. Similar to Instagram, all users below 16 years have their Threads "private" by default, before getting the choice to keeping it private or changing it to public.
"If you’re under 16, when you create a Threads profile, you’ll have the option to choose between a public or private profile, but Private is selected by default, even if you have a public Instagram account," Instagram notes.
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