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This might help explain the spectacular launch of Threads (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 years ago by to c/fediverse@lemmy.world
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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.

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[–] 84 points 3 years ago (31 children)

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.

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  • [–] 32 points 3 years ago (15 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago* (1 child)

    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)

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  • [+] -43 points 3 years ago* (11 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 41 points 3 years ago (6 children)

    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

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  • [+] -58 points 3 years ago (4 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 34 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    They weren't smug at all. They suggested you not be hostile. It's not a crazy idea.

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  • [–] 19 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    Please leave.

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  • [+] -48 points 3 years ago* (2 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 11 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    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

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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago*

    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.

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  • [–] 29 points 3 years ago (7 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 11 points 3 years ago (5 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 10 points 3 years ago* (4 children)

    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.

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  • [–] 8 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    Is threads a separate company though? It's pretty explicit in saying "Threads an Instagram App"

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  • [–] 12 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (2 children)

    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.

    That was the ruling [PDF] from the European Union's highest court, the Court of Justice, when it upheld a decision by German antitrust regulators that Meta had abused its dominance in social media by milking users for information and swirling it together to serve up ads to users.

    If you bypass shit in the EU they slap you with something else and make an example of you.

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  • [+] 3 points 3 years ago* (1 child)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago*

    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?

    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.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago

    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.

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  • [–] 21 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    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.

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  • [+] -6 points 3 years ago* (2 children)

    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

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago

    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.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago)

    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

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