In a significant development for Meta’s Threads, users will soon have the option to delete their Threads accounts without affecting their Instagram accounts. The announcement came from a Meta executive during a recent event, where it was revealed that the company is actively working on introducing a separate account deletion feature for Threads, with a potential rollout scheduled for December this year.
Threads, launched by Meta in July as a direct competitor to Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), quickly garnered immense popularity, attracting over 10 million users within the first few hours of its launch. However, one of the most significant drawbacks of the platform was its tightly integrated account deletion policy, which forced users to delete their Instagram accounts along with Threads.
In response to user feedback and demands, Meta is now addressing this issue. According to a report from TechCrunch, Michel Protti, Meta’s Chief Privacy Officer (Product), confirmed during TechCrunch Disrupt that the company is actively working on a feature that will allow users to delete their Threads accounts separately, without any impact on their Instagram accounts. The eagerly anticipated feature is expected to become available by December.
Protti did not specify whether this feature will be exclusive to Android or iOS apps or if it will also extend to the desktop version of Threads. However, he emphasized the technical challenges associated with implementing this feature. Currently, users can only deactivate their Threads accounts or hide content without affecting their Instagram profiles. Additionally, users have the option to mute their Threads accounts to avoid receiving notifications.
Beyond this account deletion update, Protti revealed that Meta is exploring the integration of Threads with the fediverse, an interconnected network of independent servers designed for seamless communication. This integration aligns with Meta’s previous mention of Threads being compatible with the ActivityPub protocol. However, the company is evaluating the implications if a user decides to delete a Threads post after it has been distributed to another server.
As Threads continues to gain traction since its launch earlier this year, Meta’s commitment to enhancing user experience and addressing key issues like account deletion underscores its dedication to maintaining a competitive edge in the social media landscape.