Zuckerberg’s ‘Threads’ App Censors Speech

Mark Zuckerberg’s new Threads app, dubbed the “Twitter-killer,” is already facing accusations of censorship.

The Meta CEO’s latest platform has garnered a staggering 70 million sign-ups within just one day of its launch, putting it on a trajectory to challenge Elon Musk’s Twitter dominance.

“70 million sign-ups on Threads as of this morning,” Mr. Zuckerberg announced on his Threads account. “That’s far beyond our expectations.”

Experts suggest that Mr. Zuckerberg’s new offering, described as a text-based version of Instagram, could pose a significant challenge to Twitter. In fact, Twitter has even threatened to sue Meta over allegations of copying trade secrets and intellectual property to expedite Threads’ development.

However, concerns about the app’s speech restrictions have already emerged just a day after its launch.

“When Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Meta, Facebook, Threads, and WhatsApp, announced Threads, he promised it would be a free and open platform,” said author and investigative reporter Michael Shellenberger, who was among those who exposed Twitter’s censorship practices prior to Musk’s takeover.

“Well, right away, there were users who showed that they had been censored,” Mr. Shellenberger added in an interview on Fox News.

‘Already Flagged Me For Censorship’

Mr. Shellenberger cited the case of conservative commentator Rogan O’Hanley, known as @DC-Draino on Twitter, whose Threads account was apparently targeted.

Mr. O’Hanley took to Twitter to express his frustration, stating that he had been flagged for censorship after posting about exposing Biden’s corrupt government.

A screenshot shared by O’Hanley shows a warning label on his Threads profile, cautioning users who want to follow him.

“Are you sure you want to follow dc_draino?” the Threads app asked users. “This account has repeatedly posted false information that was reviewed by independent fact-checkers or went against our Community Guidelines,” it added.

Just downloaded and signed up for the new Meta app “Threads”

I posted once about wanting to expose Biden’s corrupt government and they’ve already flagged me for censorship

Great platform Zuck pic.twitter.com/2RhusHRo7v

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) July 6, 2023

Reports indicate that several other conservative accounts also received similar warning labels.

The Libs of TikTok account on Twitter shared a screenshot of a notification stating that a Threads post had been removed.

The removed post’s subject was “Non-binary isn’t real,” and the label indicated that it was taken down for violating guidelines on hate speech or symbols.

If a Thread post is deemed to violate the app’s community guidelines, which are based on Instagram’s guidelines, it will be flagged for action.

According to Instagram Community Guidelines, the Threads app may remove content containing credible threats or hate speech, as well as content that targets private individuals for degradation or shaming.

However, the guidelines also promise to allow more robust conversations about public figures or individuals in the news.

Mr. Shellenberger argues that the app is leaning too heavily towards censorship.

“This is secretive censorship with no right of appeal,” he said, referring to efforts to silence individuals like Mr. O’Hanley, who he claims have been targeted for expressing election skepticism.

Mr. Shellenberger added that there is no way for censored individuals to present their case or be removed from blacklists.

He finds it ironic that Mr. Zuckerberg launched Threads just a day after a “historic ruling for free speech by a federal judge” that blocked the Biden administration from pressuring social media companies to censor posts.

“One day later, Mark Zuckerberg introduces Threads, which censors users without any recourse,” he remarked.

Similarly, conservative figure Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took to Twitter, expressing her belief that Threads will offer the same Marxist-style social media experience as Mr. Zuckerberg’s other platforms.