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.

  • Fosheze@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2579·
    2 years ago

    Fuck Meta and all but this isn’t news. Meta litterally said straight up that they would be doing this before threads ever launched. If you have an instagram account then that is also your threads account. This isn’t some conspiracy it’s exactly what they told everyone they were doing. It’s no diferent than linked accounts for google services.

    • flagellum@lemmy.worldEnglish
      272·
      2 years ago

      I think the difference is that the Threads user count keeps getting thrown around as an indicator of its success and viability, but it’s not a great KPI.

      I do think people are using this “realization” of accounts being automatically created as a conspiratorial gotcha, but it’s still important to remind people of this scenario as they evaluate their prospects.

      • mawp@lemmy.worldEnglish
        12·
        2 years ago

        If that were the case though, wouldn’t the number of Threads users be the exact same as the current number of Instagram users?

        • damnYouSun@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          6·
          2 years ago

          No because they’re only doing this for Instagram users who are located in the United States. It hasn’t launched anywhere else yet.

          Probably because it will be quite illegal in Europe so they probably are not going to do it for European users but it hasn’t launched there yet anyway so we don’t know.

    • MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.worldEnglish
      73·
      2 years ago

      It’s a conspiracy just in the sense that they are seemingly counting these towards their growth numbers. If they’re saying they have 20 million accounts, but they created 3/4 of them as placeholders, then no…they have 5 million accounts.

      • dreamfall@lemmy.worldEnglish
        12·
        2 years ago

        Google Play store alone has 10 mil+ downloads, so it’s easy to assume Apple has roughly the same…so that’s 20 million users right there…

        • Cabrio@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          2 years ago

          Downloads aren’t equal to individual users, but you knew that because you’re disingenuous, not stupid, right?