- Instagram Threads has just introduced the DMs feature to its app, but users are not happy about it.
- They are concerned that it violates the open nature of the app and can lead to harassment, much like on X.
- Meta has yet to respond to the backlash. It seems direct messaging on Threads is here to stay.
Not everyone is happy about the arrival of messaging on Threads. Instagram Head Adam Mosseri announced the rollout of DMs on Threads, but it met with a lot of backlash from users. Many people flooded the comments, mentioning how much they preferred a platform that didn’t include direct messaging.
It was just two days ago when Instagram Threads finally gained DM support, something that rival apps have had since their inception.
“Great. More ways for women to get harassed online,” said one user in response to Mosseri’s post. Another user wrote, “NO ONE WANTS DMs! Thousands of us have said so! If you must do this, please, for the sake of all the women on Threads, give us an opt-out option.”
There have been several such instances where users have expressed appreciation for the open nature of Threads, not having to engage with anonymous accounts via DMs.
View on Threads
The main concern with DMs on Threads seems to be how the feature is rampantly used for harassment campaigns on X (formerly Twitter). One user pointed out, “No need for DMs, Mosseri! Threads is perfect because there’s nothing private here. If someone wants to whisper — they’ve got WhatsApp. If they want to flirt — they’ve got Instagram.”
View on Threads
DMs in Threads work no differently than they do on other platforms. Both users have to follow each other to send a private message. If someone feels uncomfortable, they can simply unfollow or block the other person to prevent further messages. But it seems like Threads users don’t want strangers interacting with them via direct messaging.
Their concern is understandable, since there have been countless incidents on X where people were trolled for voicing their opinion on the platform. And they don’t want the same to happen on Threads. Given these circumstances, Meta could tweak how people DM each other on Threads. But I do not feel that they will roll back the feature.
