Instagram head pushes back against Elon Musk's criticism of Threads
Instagram's Threads is on its second day. The app has enjoyed a stellar start, with over 50 million users onboarded on the first day itself. However, the platform invited criticism over the lack of chronological feed. Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey also used the same argument to criticize Threads. Now, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has come out in defense of Threads.
Why does this story matter?
Threads users were in for a surprise when they signed up for the platform. While they were able to add the same people they follow on Instagram, they couldn't see the posts from people they follow. This is because Threads's feed is cluttered with algorithm-generated content. And unfortunately, there isn't a separate feed to see content from accounts users follow.
Meta has never given users option to remove algorithm: Dorsey
Threads is in its honeymoon phase but its users have been vocal about the need for a chronological feed. In response to a tweet about Threads's lack of a 'following tab,' Twitter co-founder Dorsey said it is "not surprising" Meta has not given users an option to "remove the algorithm." He cited Instagram as an example.
Threads is a closed-source, algorithm-only system
Twitter owner Musk also joined the conversation. He described Threads's timeline as a "closed source, algorithm-only system." According to him, such a system leads to an undetectable "manipulation of what information people will see." Musk has lashed out against Meta's existing dominance in social media. "Any social media monopoly is despair," the billionaire wrote about Meta's group of apps.
Threads will get a chronological feed like Facebook, Instagram
Meta has been vocal about what they intend to do with Threads-replace Twitter. The company once described it as a "sanely run" alternative to Twitter. Therefore, it wasn't surprising when Mosseri responded to Dorsey and Musk's criticism. He said Threads will get a "chronological feed" like Instagram and Facebook. He also shared a screenshot of Dorsey and Musk's tweets.
Meta is working on Threads account deletion problem
Meta has been actively listening to feedback about Threads. The company has also responded to criticism surrounding Threads account deletion. At the moment, if a user deletes their Threads account, they will also lose their Instagram account. "Threads is powered by Instagram, so right now it's just one account, but we're looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately," Mosseri said.
