Developing a Method to Remove Threads on Instagram without Deleting Them

• Several users are attempting to delete their accounts on Threads, Meta’s Twitter competitor app.
• However, they have discovered that they cannot do so without also deleting their Instagram accounts.
• A spokesperson from Meta informed Insider that the company is presently working on a solution to address this issue.

According to a Meta spokesperson, the company is currently developing a solution that will allow Threads users to delete their accounts without affecting their Instagram profiles.

Concerns about Threads, Meta’s rival to Twitter, arose when users discovered that deleting their accounts also resulted in the deletion of their Instagram accounts.

This is because Threads requires users to have an existing Instagram account in order to create a profile. The app offers the option to import bio information and followers from the user’s Instagram profile.

—laura 🦠 (@ecto_fun) July 6, 2023

The app’s current Supplemental Privacy Policy states that “Your Threads profile is part of your Instagram account, and may be deleted at any time by deleting your Instagram account.”

Insider received confirmation from a Meta spokesperson via email, who stated that they are actively working on addressing this issue. They also clarified that users can currently deactivate their profile without impacting their Instagram account, meaning their posts will not be visible to others until they reactivate their account.

In response to writer and actor Dani Fernandez, who shared a screenshot of the platform’s policy, Meta’s chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth stated that they are actively “fixing” the issue.

Threads was launched as a competitor to Twitter on July 6 and gained 10 million sign-ups within its first seven hours, as announced by Mark Zuckerberg.

Some users have expressed interest in the app and are discussing its potential to replace Twitter, especially considering recent disruptions to the Twitter user experience due to Elon Musk’s temporary introduction of “rate limits” to combat AI companies’ data scraping and system manipulation.

Twitter is threatening to sue Meta over the app, accusing it of being a copycat. In a cease-and-desist letter from Musk’s attorney Alex Spiro addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it is also alleged that Meta hired former Twitter employees who were previously laid off. Meta’s communications director Andy Stone responded to the accusation on Threads, stating that none of the engineers on the Threads team are former Twitter employees.

Spiro did not provide a comment to Insider regarding this matter.

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