not open threadMeta's Expected Rival X/Twitter, for several months. However, I ran it on his first day of 2024 and the app was nothing like what I had imagined.
Throughout my feed, I saw transphobic, pro-life, anti-porn, and Islamophobic posts. I don't follow the accounts posting these threads. I do not interact with any content other than taking screenshots. And it turns out I'm not the only one whose threading experience is flooded with posts of this kind.
![Screenshot from the thread.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-1.fit_lim.size_376x.jpg)
![Screenshot from the thread.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-1.fit_lim.size_376x.jpg)
An example of *many* pro-life posts on the thread.
Credit: Thread.
![Screenshot of thread post.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-2.fit_lim.size_376x.jpg)
![Screenshot of thread post.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-2.fit_lim.size_376x.jpg)
An example of *many* pro-life posts on the thread.
Credit: Thread.
On X, people have been posting about this since late December 2023 and early this year. 1 user I have written: „That Threads app sucks. I logged in for the second time in my life and it was nothing but insane right-wing conservative stupidity about abortion and marriage and everything else.“ Another. of Posted About their proposed timeline being “full of anti-trans content.”
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
In a statement to Mashable, Mehta acknowledged that „some users“ were being shown „this type of repetitive, low-quality content.“
„We want people to have a positive experience on Threads, and we're continually improving what people see on the app. We remove content that violates our community guidelines. Additionally, we recognize that some of our users are exposed to this type of content. Repetitive and low-quality content may not be of interest to our users, and we will address it. „We are taking steps to do so,“ a Mehta spokesperson said.
As of this writing, the posts I suggested in the thread are of the same nature: hate speech. Posts that are against transgender rights, women's rights, and attacks on marginalized people seem to be rampant on my and others' apps.
![A screenshot of a post to the thread.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-3.fill.size_2000x1977.v1704470490.jpg)
![A screenshot of a post to the thread.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-3.fill.size_2000x1977.v1704470490.jpg)
Credit: Thread.
Such posts are also suggested via the Instagram app. Many times in my feed I was directed to threads with posts that were homophobic, racist, or hateful in some way.
![Screenshot of a suggested thread post on Instagram.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-4.fill.size_2000x1515.v1704474120.jpg)
![Screenshot of a suggested thread post on Instagram.](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02JoifSZ4YJrY3ATbq2RbOn/images-4.fill.size_2000x1515.v1704474120.jpg)
Credit: Instagram.
Launched in early July 2023, Threads hate speech problem It's been about a week since the live show started.Several civil rights organizations, including nonprofit watchdog groups Media is important to America, Digital Hate Countermeasures Centerand happycriticized the app for not having enough guardrails against violence and misinformation. Letter from the group to Meta It accused the platform of supporting „neo-Nazi rhetoric, election lies, coronavirus and climate change denialism, and other harm.“
The app does not yet have its own terms of service or community guidelines. Instead, says meta The app “especially since it’s part of Instagram; Instagram Terms of Use And that Instagram Community GuidelinesInstagram's community guidelines state that the app does not contain „credible threats or hate speech, content that targets individuals to demean or shame them, personal information intended to intimidate or harass someone, and undesirable content.“ It said it would remove content that „repeatedly contains messages that are not intended to be used.“
Instagram also emphasizes that hate speech is „never OK,“ and the company defines it as „based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or disease.“ Applies to „a person who attacks someone“. . But the app also says it may allow hate speech if it is shared „for the purpose of dissent or awareness.“
Meanwhile, parent company Meta defines hate speech It is treated as a „direct attack on people, based on what we call protected characteristics, rather than on concepts or institutions.“ This includes written or visual “expressions of contempt” or “admissions to intolerance” such as Islamophobia or homophobia. However, the content that users are providing in threads seems to fall into exactly these categories.
In a statement to Mashable back in july„Our industry-leading integrity enforcement tools and human reviews are built into Threads, and like all of our apps, our hate speech policies apply,“ Mehta said. We are considering additional ways to address misinformation in future updates.“ In December, Meta announced the following additions: Fact checking directly into the Threads appMashable's Shannon Connellan reported that the update aims to „address misinformation about the app itself, rather than mentioning it through other platforms.“
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
Despite Meta's policies, Threads appears to have a long way to go to solve the problem of hate speech on its platform. All week, users have been using X and the thread itself to point out the type of content they're being forced to see in their feeds, and almost every time, the posts appear to be unwanted.