Meta's Threads Cause Privacy Dispute, Before Formal Launch

Threads, an Instagram app that competes with Twitter, is already available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, suggesting that it will soon go live. However, the new microblogging network generated a privacy scandal with its privacy policy just before the formal release.

The App Store page for Instagram Threads, a Twitter rival from Meta, indicates that the app will debut on 6 July with an iPhone-compatible version. The Google Play Store also looks to have an early listing, which first appeared over the weekend.

Meta has published a launch date teaser for Threads

• The search bar displays a ticket icon when you type "threads" (or any range of other phrases) into the search box. When you tap it, a spinning ticket with your Instagram username and a local launch time converted from 10 am ET on the 6th appears. The spinning ticket also has a QR code connecting to threads.net, the new social media platform's online homepage. 

According to the official Apple App Store listing, Meta's Threads may gather information on contacts, browsing history, usage, location, search history, identifiers, financial data, health, fitness, and other sensitive data.

2020 saw Apple's introduction of privacy labels

Apple's introduction of privacy labels mandated that all app developers disclose the data they gather. Apple then makes this information available in a new, simple-to-read label format. This Apple feature lets Users see how much data an app may collect. All Apple devices and services, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, come with privacy labels.

Nevertheless, social media apps frequently gather personal information. In reality, Twitter also collects similar amounts of user data to Threads, except for data about health and fitness.

Threads is scheduled to be live on Thursday

According to a listing on Apple's App Store, Threads, scheduled to be live on Thursday, will let users keep the same username and Instagram followers. The introduction of Instagram's Threads for iPhones is scheduled for 6 July. Users can sign in with their Instagram handles, follow other users, start threads, reshare posts, and participate in microblogging, just as on Twitter.

The description also implies that Threads will launch in many languages, including English and Hindi, and be accessible to anyone over 12.