Changes are underway for the Threads app, allowing users to delete their account while preserving their linked Instagram account, addressing previous frustrations over the inability to delete Threads independently.
Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, announced this alteration via a post on Threads, acknowledging the previous inability to solely delete Threads as a notable concern among users.
Initially positioned as a potential rival to Twitter, Threads encountered difficulties maintaining its initial rapid growth.
Three months after its launch in July, the app’s user base had decreased significantly to about 100 million monthly users, as disclosed by Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
The app’s initial release lacked several essential features present on competing platforms, such as search functionality and direct messaging.
One significant issue was the inability for users to fully delete their Threads account without also removing their associated Instagram account, a limitation that drew considerable criticism.
Previously, users could only deactivate, not delete, their Threads account if they wished to retain their linked Instagram profile.
The new feature allowing independent deletion will be accessible through the settings menu within a “Delete or Deactivate Profile” section, as outlined by Mr. Mosseri’s post on Threads.
The absence of such a deletion system had attracted regulatory attention.
In response to Meta’s initial announcement about this change in September, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) stressed the importance of users being able to delete Threads profiles and account information without affecting their Instagram account.
The ICO expressed satisfaction with the resulting change, emphasizing that users should not be compelled to sacrifice one service to be removed from another.
Source-BBC
