Posts Tagged: threads

Anti-trans hate is ‘widespread’ on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, report warns

Meta is failing to enforce its own rules against anti-trans hate speech on its platform, a new report from GLAAD warns. The LGBTQ advocacy group found that “extreme anti-trans hate content remains widespread across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.”

The report documents dozens of examples of hate speech from Meta’s apps, which GLAAD says were reported to the company between June 2023 and March 2024. But though the posts appeared to be clear violations of the company’s policies, “Meta either replied that posts were not violative or simply did not take action on them,” GLAAD says.

The reported content included posts with anti-trans slurs, violent and dehumanizing language and promotions for conversion therapy, all of which are barred under Meta’s rules. GLAAD also notes that some of the posts it reported came from influential accounts with large audiences on Facebook and Instagram. GLAAD also shared two examples of posts from Threads, Meta’s newest app where the company has tried to tamp down “political” content and other “potentially sensitive” topics.

“The company’s ongoing failure to enforce their own policies against anti-LGBTQ, and especially anti-trans hate, is simply unacceptable,” GLAAD’s CEO and President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.

Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But GLAAD’s report isn’t the first time the company has faced criticism for its handling of content targeting the LGBTQ community. Last year the Oversight Board urged Meta to “improve the accuracy of its enforcement on hate speech towards the LGBTQIA+ community.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anti-trans-hate-is-widespread-on-facebook-instagram-and-threads-report-warns-215538151.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Threads enters the EU amid news of ActivityPub testing

Launched just a few months ago in July, Threads underwent a massive surge in signups with Twitter, or…
TalkAndroid

Meta is going to fact-check content on the Threads app

Threads is going to make an effort to moderate more of the user-generated content on the platform. Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, posted that it is working on creating a fact-checking program. Mosseri didn’t lay out what such a program would entail, only saying that Threads is going to “match fact-check ratings from Facebook or Instagram to Threads.” Currently, fact-checkers can't rate content on Threads, so instead when something gets flagged as being false on Instagram or Facebook, a fact-checker’s ratings will also roll over onto the app. “Our goal is for fact-checking partners to have the ability to review and rate misinformation on the app,” Mosseri wrote.

The program is expected to be available early next year. Meta said third-party fact-checking partners will flag and review the content that circulates on Threads. The app’s users will be given the choice to increase, lower or maintain the default level of “demotions on fact-checked content” in personal feeds. Meta says if a user decides to see less sensitive content on Instagram, those settings will roll over into their Threads view.

Social media companies, like Threads, have to consider expanding guardrails to prevent misinformation from proliferating on their platforms, especially ahead of the coming presidential elections. A fact-checking system on the Threads app isn’t a huge shock considering recent moves by the company. When the company introduced a search tool, it blocked certain words “previously linked” to misinformation on Meta’s platform.

However, offering users a fact-checking feature does not necessarily mean Threads will become the new front page for digital news. Mosseri told TechCrunch that the platform, as of now, does not plan on “amplifying the news” on its platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-is-going-to-fact-check-content-on-its-app-010720646.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

How to find your Threads ticket to show when you joined

The Threads social network has somewhere around 100 million users, and a good many of them are posting screenshots of the ticket that shows when they joined the service.
Digital Trends

Instagram head says Threads is working on an API for developers

Threads was missing a lot of features users would expect from a service similar to Twitter’s (now X’s) when it launched. Over the past few months, however, it has been been rolling out more and more new features to give users a more robust experience, including polls, an easy way to post GIFs and the ability to quote posts on the web. Still, since it doesn’t have an API, third-party developers can’t conjure features specific to their services that would make the social network a more integral part of people’s everyday lives. An example of that is local transportation agencies being able to automatically post service alerts when a train is delayed. According to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, though, Threads is working on an API for developers — he just has concerns about how it’s going to be used. 

As first reported by TechCrunch, Mosseri responded to a conversation on the platform about having a TweetDeck-like experience for Threads. In a response to a user saying that Threads has no API yet, the executive said: “We’re working on it.” He added that he’s concerned that the API’s launch could mean “a lot more publisher content and not much more creator content,” but he’s aware that it “seems like something [the company needs] to get done.”

Mosseri previously said that Threads won’t amplify news, which may have been disappointing to hear for publishers and readers looking to leave X. Instead, he said, Threads wants to “empower creators in general.” More recently, in an AMA he posted on the platform, Mosseri said that that his team’s long-term aspiration is for Threads to become “the de facto platform for public conversations online,” which means being both culturally relevant and big in terms of user size. He said he believes Threads has a chance of surpassing X, but he knows that his service has a long way to go. For now, he keeps his team focused on making people’s experience better week by week. 

Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Threads has “just under” 100 million monthly active users. Like Mosseri, he is optimistic about its future and said that there’s a “good chance” it could reach 1 billion users over the next couple of years.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/instagram-head-says-threads-is-working-on-an-api-for-developers-140049094.html?src=rss

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

The keyword search function is already being tested on Threads

Having recently become available to access on the web, a new and possibly even more important feature has been confirmed to be on the way to Threads. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed via Threads that the X (formerly Twitter) competitor will soon gain the ability to search for keywords. And, if you happen to […]

Come comment on this article: The keyword search function is already being tested on Threads

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Meta’s Threads is finally available on desktop (for some users)

If you consider the current state of Twitter (now called X) to be something of a cesspool then it’s likely that you’ve sought out Meta’s competing app call Threads in the hopes of finding a replacement. Perhaps launching a couple if weeks before it should have and thus being a little threadbare (not sorry) in […]

Come comment on this article: Meta’s Threads is finally available on desktop (for some users)

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Threads web app could arrive this week

Threads by Instagram will get a web version as soon as this week, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. Earlier this month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised a web version with better search functionality, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently said that one is in testing. Currently, a full version of Threads is only available on iOS and Android, with limited read-only functionality on browsers.

A web version is near the top of the list of most-desired features for Threads, but the company is exercising caution with the release. “It’s a little bit buggy right now, you don’t want it just yet,” Mosseri said Friday on Instagram. “As soon as it is ready we will share it with everybody else.”

Threads recently added new features to Threads like the ability to set notifications and view posts in chronological order. The company also started labeling state-controlled media outlets after some were seen posting propaganda. Another new update is the “repost” tab makes it easier to see all reposted content. (X, previously called Twitter, recently renamed “retweets” to the more generic “reposts,” ironically following Threads’ lead.) 

A web version would be coming at a good time for Threads. After a torrid launch with over 100 million users signing on in the first week, the number of daily active users (DAUs) dropped down to 80 percent by mid-August. Still, Threads is by far the most successful alternative to X, which counted around 238 million DAUs in August 2023 and 364 million monthly active users, X reported last year. 

In any case, the launch of a web version will be particularly useful for social media power users, just when Twitter has put one of its key tools for those folks, Tweetdeck, permanently behind a paywall.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-web-app-could-arrive-this-week-082645402.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Threads has lost half its users, according to Meta chief Zuckerberg

Despite its impressive start earlier this month when around 100 million people flocked to it, Threads has already lost more than half of its users.
Digital Trends

Threads adds a chronological feed as Twitter burns to the ground

Threads is about to get vastly more useful as Meta has started rolling out the option to see a chronological feed of posts from the people you follow. Many observers said this was a key feature Threads needed to truly compete with Twitter, long a vital source of real-time information. But as Twitter (sorry, X) owner Elon Musk continues to reduce his app to rubble, Threads is looking like a more viable destination for up-to-the-minute news and updates. You'll need to update to the latest version of Threads to see the chronological feed, but since this is a gradual rollout, it might not appear for you immediately.

Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollout of the chronological feed on his Instagram broadcast channel (Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, said a while back that such an option was on the way). The Meta CEO added that Threads has gained another vitally important feature in the form of translations. Zuckerberg said there was more to come, hopefully including the ability to post to Threads from the web, direct messages, improved accessibility, better search and a TweetDeck-like way to keep tabs on Threads posts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-adds-a-chronological-feed-as-twitter-burns-to-the-ground-152817251.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Meta’s Threads sent another app named Threads to the top of the App Store charts

When Instagram launched Threads on July 5th, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Twitter for the first time in 11 years. The tweet, which did not include any text, saw Zuckerberg reference the Spider-Man pointing meme to take a jab at Elon Musk. It turns out the use of that meme was more apt than the Facebook founder could have imagined.

As highlighted by TechCrunch, the release of Instagram’s Threads translated into a boon for another app of the same name. Threads, a Slack alternative that has been around since 2019, saw more than 880,000 downloads on iOS between July 6th and July 12th, according to an estimate Data.ai shared with the outlet. Where previously it had “few downloads” before that period, Threads became the 52nd most downloaded App Store program globally. In a handful of European Union countries, including Germany, Spain and Italy, it even managed to crack the top 10. That might have something to do with the fact Instagram’s Threads isn’t available in the EU, and Meta has since started blocking people who try to access the service through a VPN.

In addition, owing to the fact it owns threads.com, Threads (the Slack alternative) has enjoyed a “significant” increase in traffic to its website. In fact, the company has since added a badge to its frontpage that declares it’s “not associated with Instagram.” Over on Twitter, you’ll find a similar disclaimer. “We have no affiliation with Meta. But you’re welcome to stick around!” the company’s profile states.

Of course, Meta and Threads aren’t the first companies to employ the same branding. As TechCrunch notes, there are more than a few companies called Lightyear, including a solar electric vehicle startup, an online course platform and two separate fintech firms. Still, it’s funny a coincidence when you consider Threads, the workplace chat app, was co-founded by Rousseau Kazi, a former Facebook product manager. Oh, and Meta used to operate an Instagram companion app also confusingly named Threads. I suppose there’s no originality left in Silicon Valley.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-threads-sent-another-app-named-threads-to-the-top-of-the-app-store-charts-214007131.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

How to get verified on Instagram Threads

Instagram Threads is Instagram’s answer to Twitter. It has many of the same features, including a verified badge. Here’s how to get one for yourself!
Digital Trends

Meta’s Twitter rival Threads won’t initially launch in the EU

Meta’s rival to Twitter called Threads, an Instagram app is set to launch tomorrow in the US and UK, but it may not come to the rest of Europe anytime soon. A Meta spokesperson told Ireland’s Data Protection Commission that the service will not be rolled out in the EU “at this point,” Independent.ie has reported. 

Threads may not be launching in much of Europe due to more stringent data privacy requirements. The DPC is apparently not blocking the service — instead, it’s Meta that has “not yet prepared the service for a European launch outside the UK, which is not fully governed by GDPR or EU privacy rules,” according to the report.

The EU just hit Meta with a ruling that it must obtain consent from users before delivering personalized ads in the region. Prior to that, the company was hit with a €390 million EU fine (about $ 425 million) for not receiving consent before serving up such ads. 

On top of that, in 2021, the DPC fined WhatsApp €225 million ($ 266.8 million at the time) or not providing enough detail on how it shares EU users’ data with Facebook. That could pose a problem for Threads in its current state, as it automatically imports data from Instagram, including advertising and behavior information, according to the policy listed on its iOS App Store page

Threads is arriving amidst issues with Twitter like “rate limits” on tweets and degraded service for the power-user app Tweetdeck. Many of Twitter’s active users have been seeking an alternative with apps like Bluesky and Mastodon, but some see Threads as the most viable option due to Meta’s scale. That’s despite any reservations they may have about CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s track record on privacy and other issues.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-twitter-rival-threads-wont-initially-launch-in-the-eu-090314803.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Instagram’s Threads is a camera app for sharing with your closest friends

If you want to get a glimpse of Mark Zuckerberg's "privacy-focused" vision for Facebook, then look no further than Instagram's new social app: Threads. This new standalone, camera-first messaging app is an extension of Instagram's Close Friends featu…
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These threads can change color and could one day make your shirt a display

Imagine if instead of pulling your phone out to look at a notification you could just look at your sleeve? These color-changing threads, developed by researchers at UC Berkeley, could one day make that a reality.

The post These threads can change color and could one day make your shirt a display appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables–Digital Trends