Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has introduced Threads, a new app designed to provide a “friendly” platform for public discussions, setting it apart from Twitter, which is currently under the ownership of billionaire Elon Musk.
Zuckerberg emphasized the app’s focus on fostering a positive environment during a press briefing shortly after its debut. “We are definitely focusing on kindness and making this a friendly place,” he stated on Wednesday.
However, maintaining this vision for Threads, which saw over 70 million users sign up within its first 48 hours, poses its challenges.
Meta Platforms is not inexperienced in navigating the often volatile world of online interactions. The company has confirmed that Threads will adhere to the same community standards and content regulations it applies to Instagram.
The proprietor of Facebook and Instagram has also been implementing an algorithmic strategy that allows it to control content distribution, aiming to shift the platform’s focus towards entertainment rather than news-driven discussions.
Despite this, by connecting Threads with other platforms like Mastodon and appealing to users engaged in microblogging, including news enthusiasts and political figures, Meta faces additional hurdles as it seeks to carve out its own space in the digital landscape.
In a deviation from its existing measures against misinformation, the company announced that it will not extend its current fact-checking initiatives to Threads. This move has led to questions about how misinformation will be managed on the new platform, according to Meta spokesperson Christine Pai.
However, Pai clarified that any posts on Facebook or Instagram that have been marked as false by fact-checking partners will carry these labels over to Threads as well.
In a podcast episode released on Thursday by the New York Times, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, noted that Threads is more conducive to public discourse than Meta’s other platforms. Despite this, he suggested the focus will still lean toward lighter content such as sports, music, and fashion.
The early user activity on Threads has shown the complexity of maintaining control over discussions. Within hours of its launch, it became evident as some accounts began sharing conspiracy theories and engaging in heated debates covering topics ranging from gender identity to international conflicts.
Prominent conservative figures, including Donald Trump’s son, voiced concerns regarding alleged censorship after they received warnings about sharing false information. Meta later attributed these warnings to an error in labeling.
As Threads plans to integrate with the wider “fediverse,” where users on non-Meta servers can interact, the moderation of content is anticipated to become even more complex. Pai mentioned that existing Instagram guidelines would still apply to these external users.
“If we find accounts from a specific server violating our rules, that server would be blocked from Threads, preventing its content from appearing on the platform,” she explained.
Experts specializing in online media believe that how Meta handles these interactions will be critical. Alex Stamos, director of the Stanford Internet Observatory and former Meta security chief, expressed concerns about the company’s ability to enforce effective moderation on the fediverse without access to user data.
“In a federated system, the metadata essential for linking accounts to users or identifying abusive behavior isn’t available,” he noted, highlighting the potential increase in challenges related to spam and trolling.
Stamos predicted that Threads might limit the presence of abusive servers and impose stricter penalties for those disseminating illegal content, such as child exploitation material.
Nonetheless, the complexities arising from this integration present numerous challenges. Solomon Messing of the Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University pointed out that illicit content raises significant questions about responsibility, particularly regarding how to address illegal activities discovered during content indexing.
“If you encounter problematic materials from other servers, do you have an obligation that goes beyond merely blocking it from Threads?” he asked.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
