Staff Reports
Threads, the new platform launched by Mark Zuckerberg, is facing backlash and controversy right off the bat. Elon Musk is threatening legal action against Meta, the parent company of Threads, for allegedly misappropriating Twitter trade secrets and intellectual property. The platform also came under fire for censoring certain threads and collecting user information, which led to criticism and accusations of unfair treatment.
Threads Already Finds Itself Desperately Backpedaling After Censoring Donald Trump Jr. https://t.co/2cXLEABmHF
— RedState (@RedState) July 8, 2023
One of the prominent figures who faced censorship was Donald Trump Jr. Users who tried to follow him received a message questioning their decision and claiming that his account had repeatedly posted false information. Trump Jr. took to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with Threads, stating that the app’s limitations on speech hindered influencers from expressing themselves effectively.
That was quick pic.twitter.com/ka7fyAeu6j
— shaneyyricch (@shaneyyricch) July 6, 2023
Threads not exactly off to a great start. Hey Instagram, threads is verbal, so the whole skimpy bikini thing is not going to work so well if your influencers can’t actually formulate a sentence… IMHO you may want to rethink cutting off those who can. pic.twitter.com/vBKIOjg8Z8
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 6, 2023
This was an error and shouldn’t have happened. It’s been fixed.
— Andy Stone (@andymstone) July 7, 2023
However, the head of communications for Meta, Andy Stone, acknowledged the error and claimed that it had been fixed. Nevertheless, the incident drew significant attention, and some conservatives argued that it was not merely an “error” but a deliberate act of censorship targeting right-leaning voices. Conservative commentator Darren Grimes called out Threads for censoring conservative voices, and conservative commentator Benny Johnson questioned the move from Twitter, known for its support of free speech, to an app that engages in censorship from day one.
The question arises: why would anyone choose to migrate from Twitter to Threads if they wanted to avoid living in a liberal echo chamber or having their thoughts suppressed? Furthermore, the platform openly admits to data mining, raising concerns about privacy.
In light of these controversies, it seems that Threads starts its journey on the wrong foot, facing criticism for censorship and questionable practices. Conservative voices are seeking alternatives that prioritize free speech and respect differing opinions.
