The launch of Meta’s new app has been labeled as a “Twitter killer,” and from all indications, the Threads app is not sitting well with many conservative Twitter users who claim they are being censored by owner Mark Zuckerberg’s new technology.
In addition, the app reportedly has the ability to collect up to 14 types of data, including sensitive personal information that the company uses for targeted advertising.
Fox News Digital reporter Michael Schellenberger warned that Zuckerberg’s new social media platform has “near zero privacy” and says Congress must either “break up Meta or mandate transparency as a condition of the company’s Section 230 protections.”
“Mark Zuckerberg says he’s not thinking about monetization of users on his Twitter clone Threads, but that’s a lie,” Schellenberger says. “His business model is selling our data to advertisers.”
On Wednesday, Zuckerberg announced that more than 10 million people had registered for Threads only seven hours after its launch, accompanied by a “mindblown” emoji. On Thursday, that number had grown to 30 million, less than 24 hours after its launching.
The launching of Threads comes in response to many conservatives’ pledging their allegiance to Elon Musk, who proclaimed himself as a “free speech absolutist” after he purchased Twitter earlier this year.
Threads is linked to Instagram, which Meta said in October had around 2 billion monthly active users, businessinsider.com reported.
Schellenberger says that Threads is far from a “free and open platform,” as Zuckerberg officially announced.
‘Right away, there were users that showed that they have been censored,” Schellenberger says. “When I tried to follow those people, I found out they indeed had been censored.
“This is secretive censorship, and there is no right of appeal,” he adds. “There is no way for anyone who is being censored on those platforms to make their case and try to get off the blacklists.”
Newsweek.com reports this week that “almost immediately after Threads started, conservatives loyal to Musk began to complain that they were being ‘censored; on the rival app, which adheres to the same moderation policies as Instagram. Zuckerberg has dubbed it a friendly public space for conversation.”
Schellenberger reports that one person had sued Zuckerberg’s social media platforms because he was censored for expressing election skepticism.
“I myself don’t agree with that man on everything, but that’s the whole point of free speech is that it’s for everybody, not just the people we agree with,” Schellenberger says.
User @DC_Draino, a self-described “anti-woke” lawyer, tweeted just after the Threads app was released, “Just downloaded and signed up for the new Meta app ‘Threads’ meant to imitate Twitter. I posted once about wanting to expose Biden’s corrupt government and they’ve already flagged me for censorship. Great platform Zuck.”
Schellenberg says he reached out Zuckerberg on Threads, but he expectedly received no reply. “We have tried to get in touch with Facebook for years now, and they will not respond,” he says.
Schellenberger says Facebook and Meta are “massive conglomerates,” and if they succeed with their mission, they will have “80 percent” of the social media market outside of China and Russia.
“That’s as close to a monopoly as you can get,” he says.
Newsbytesapp.com reports that Meta will indeed use collected data for targeted advertising.
“By joining Threads, users are putting sensitive information about themselves, including their location data, browsing history, financial info, and purchase information, among others, in Meta’s hands,” the report says. “The app does not have ads yet, but Meta is bound to use the collected information for targeted advertising later. Meta may not even need more information as it already knows enough through Facebook and Instagram.” {eoa}
Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
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