Automatically creating a shadow account for everyone on Instagram?
Even allowing people to follow that account?
Sounds like they really wanted to push Threads out the door in a big way.
this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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Why does everything have to be a conspiracy with some people? Threads literally and directly explains that it uses your Instagram account. They're the same account. Nothing crazy. No magic. No oogie boogie. Just the same account.
You need to activate the threads account. People are being asked to follow accounts which haven't been activated IE created.
You're missing the point.
So think of it like a 'feature' of Instagram then. You can enable the feature or you can leave it disabled but either way its sharing user data and login information etc.
I don't think I'm missing any point. Have you used it? They're owned by the same company. Threads is separate but part of Instagram. Other than the user name being reserved on Threads in case the Instagram user wants to sign up, there isn't an account created. If you try to search the name of any of those accounts in Threads it doesn't come up at all. (Edit: mistyped a word)
Argh
Lemmy is your chance to have a discussion without the needless hostility that Reddit et al has. Maybe try saying "I actually find it quite convenient, here's why" etc
It's your chance to derail every conversation into petty social media drama so you can reinforce your fragile superiority complex, that's for sure.
They weren't smug at all. They suggested you not be hostile. It's not a crazy idea.
Thank you. I will. Enjoy your stay.
You're from reddit aren't you?
Please leave.
How about you use the most basic social etiquette available and be at least not a total asshole.
And how about I take this chance to remind everyone that we can all block the users we don't want to interact with. And that maintaining a block list is a great way to ensure a decent online experience
The block list should be shared, too, like a reputation chain or collaborative filter. "You and user X have both blocked Users A, B, and C. User X has also blocked D. Would you like to, too?" We can each decide the kind of moderation we want to see.
It definitely is oogie boogie, which is what makes it illegal in europe as it's against gdpr, which is why it's not available in europe.
They're doing some dodgy stuff with your data, that's for sure. But the sign-up is smooth. Instagram has a LOT of users, and Meta is leveraging that and making it super easy to share to IG that you have made said threads account (and if you don't, they will do it for you). The FOMO is real.
They have taken the biggest challenge to use a new social media platform, rebuilding your spidery web of follows, mutuals, weird interests, and friends, and made it basically transparent. It's a UX marvel. The sign-up numbers reflect that IMO.
Sharing data of users from one company to another company without their consent is literally what GDPR exists to stop. Instagram is one company. Threads is another company.
If it isn't oogie boogie then it literally wouldn't have massive legislation against it preventing it worldwide for eu citizens.
Is threads a separate company though? It's pretty explicit in saying "Threads an Instagram App"
In European law it doesn't matter. You try and bypass laws and the courts have none of it. It's very "fuck around find out". They already decided against them for antitrust for doing exactly that.
If you bypass shit in the EU they slap you with something else and make an example of you.
I mean it's fuck Meta... But I'd be curious.
If you signed up for Valve in the EU for like Left 4 Dead or Half Life or something, it would be against the law for them to share that account with Steam?
Actually, the more I think about it. Steam would likely be really close to illegal in general, right? Feel like a lot of companies sharing account info
Account linking is usually done through a system that you opt into, agreeing to have that link.
This is entirely different, it's just "fuck it we've got all this data, we'll share it across and use it regardless of consent or not".
While for other things it's a completely external registration, for example I have a Steam account but also have to make a completely separate Capcom account for Street Fighter, then link the two together.
The key component is that the end user consents before any data is shared, whereas Meta's approach is just to do it regardless of consent, treating your private information as something you don't have a right to control.
None of the data other than the user name is shown in Threads until the user from Instagram activates their account. I've tried to look up a number of the people from Instagram on Threads and if they haven't signed up, then the search results are zero.
Being able to use the same credentials for logging in is something else than creating a public profile for users that never signed up for the service.
but they don’t create a public profile for users that don’t sign up? it uses the same handle as your Instagram. If you never activate Threads then nothing happens with your IG username on Threads
I did not try Threads so I do not know. The post suggests that your user handle appears as a suggestion of a profile to follow for other people even if you never signed up.
It's basically just a new feature for Instagram, but in a new app because it's too different from the standard Instagram feed.
Also if you click one of the users who haven't signed up yet it just pre-queues your follow and says "You'll automatically follow then when/if they join threads"(I don't remember the exact wording here). This is blown out of proportion.
Your correct in a technical sense (eccept for mabe the fetaverse linkages) but not a semantic one,
Yes its absolutely technically true that people delete their unified account from the "other place to do so called threads account management page"
but semantically its a "new service" that they were "signed up for" with its own app, and if/when they delete their "threads account" everything else goes with it for some odd reason
Facebook and their dumb opaqeness