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Threads Testing a Feature to Hide Replies on Profiles

2024-12-04

Instagram Threads, Meta's competitor to Elon Musk's X, is currently in the process of testing a significant feature. This feature aims to give users more control over the visibility of their replies on the platform. By adding a new privacy option, Threads allows users to customize their profiles and remove the tab that displays their replies. This leaves only the tabs for posts and reposts, providing a more private browsing experience.

Unlock Privacy: Instagram Threads' Reply Control

How the Feature Works

The addition of this privacy feature offers Threads users an alternative to switching to a fully private profile. While a fully private profile limits the visibility of posts to only followers and those specifically replied to, this new option allows users to make their profile and use of Threads more private without such a drastic change. On the main "For You" feed, which offers a mix of posts including replies, these replies are already less likely to be surfaced by the algorithm. Now, with the ability to turn off the ability for others to browse your replies on your profile, they become even more difficult to find.

Thread user and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi was the first to spot this feature. He reported that the option was rolling out to the iOS app. An Instagram spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that the company had recently started testing this with a "small number of people" and had not yet made it publicly available. To check if you have this feature, simply click the "Edit Profile" button on your Threads user profile and scroll down to the option labeled "Show your Replies". By default, it is enabled, but you can easily toggle it off if you prefer.

Other Reply Controls

Threads has not stopped at just this one privacy measure. Previously, the company launched a way to limit who can reply to your posts. Users can choose between allowing anyone to reply, only those they follow, or those they have specifically mentioned. This is similar to the functionality offered by X.

Hiding more personal interactions like replies can have a positive impact on Threads users' engagement. It creates a more comfortable environment for users to interact with content, similar to X's decision to make everyone's Likes private earlier this year. This helps to inform X's recommendations and encourages more active participation.

Benefits and Implications

Allowing users to control the visibility of their replies gives them more agency over their online presence. It allows them to share their thoughts and engage with others without worrying about their replies being widely visible. This can lead to more genuine and meaningful interactions within the Threads community.

From a business perspective, this feature also provides Instagram with an opportunity to enhance user privacy while still maintaining a vibrant social platform. It shows that the company is committed to meeting the evolving needs of its users and providing them with the tools they desire.

Meta's X competitor Instagram Threads has recently introduced a significant update that is set to reshape the social media landscape. This update allows users to establish a stronger connection with the fediverse, a concept that encompasses various open social web services. The move is part of Meta's continuous pursuit of full interoperability for its platform.

Unlock a New Era of Social Connectivity with Instagram Threads

Connecting with the Fediverse: A Game-Changing Update

Meta's X competitor Instagram Threads has taken a major step forward with its latest update. Users can now seamlessly connect with the fediverse, which includes services like Flipboard, Mastodon, Pixelfed, PeerTube, and more. This opens up a world of possibilities for social interaction and information sharing.

On Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that users can now follow profiles from other fediverse servers. This means that users can expand their social circles and engage with a wider range of people and content. Starting today, those who have enabled sharing to the fediverse can follow individuals from other servers who have interacted with federated profiles on Threads. When scrolling through Threads, users can easily access a person's profile and view all their posts on different servers. They also receive notifications when that person posts on their own server, keeping them updated and engaged.

Meta's Ongoing Efforts for Full Interoperability

The announcement is a significant part of Meta's ongoing efforts to achieve full interoperability for the platform. In October, Threads began allowing users with connected accounts to the fediverse to see who follows them and likes their posts from other servers. Users can also view their fediverse replies, enhancing the overall social experience. Since March, the company has been enabling users to connect their accounts to the fediverse, laying the foundation for this latest update.

This update not only allows for greater connectivity but also promotes a more diverse and inclusive social environment. By integrating with the fediverse, Threads is bringing together different communities and platforms, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas. It is a step towards a more interconnected social web where users can freely interact and share without barriers.

Earlier this year, Meta made a significant attempt to obtain its own nuclear-powered data center in an effortless manner. It planned to build one adjacent to an existing reactor. However, regulators dampened the plan as the site was reported to be the home of a rare bee species. Consequently, the company has come up with a new idea - to find a developer who will construct one or more nuclear power plants anywhere in the United States.

Meta's Request for Proposals

Yesterday, Meta announced a call for proposals from nuclear power developers. The aim is to add 1 to 4 gigawatts of electricity generating capacity in the U.S. According to Axios, the company is willing to share costs in the early stages. Once the reactors are operational, Meta is committed to purchasing the power. The hitch is that applicants need to act quickly. Initial proposals are due on February 7, 2025, and Meta desires the power plants to start operating in the early 2030s.

Flexibility in Location

Apart from the tight timeline, Meta is open to flexibility. The new power plants do not have to be located next to a preferred data center. As long as the power is made available to support the growth needs of the electric grids that power both Meta's data centers and the surrounding communities, it is acceptable. This stance might help Meta avoid regulators' concerns about balancing data center power needs with existing demand and grid stability. For instance, an Amazon data center faced setbacks when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied its bid to expand an existing data center power agreement due to concerns of potential brownouts or blackouts for other customers.

Traditional vs. Small Modular Reactors

Today's traditional nuclear power plants are typically rated around 1 gigawatt, and one such plant would meet Meta's lowest ambitions. But these designs are known to be costly and time-consuming to build. Small modular reactors (SMR), on the other hand, promise to reduce costs through modularization and mass production. However, these claims have not been tested on a commercial scale yet. Despite the uncertainty, tech companies are not slowing down. Microsoft hopes to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island by 2028. Google is betting on SMR technology to fulfill its AI and sustainability goals by signing a deal with startup Kairos Power for 500 megawatts of electricity. Amazon has also shown support for SMR startup X-Energy by investing in the company and signing two development agreements for around 300 megawatts of generating capacity.

The Nuclear Power Renaissance

The flurry of activity in the past few months indicates that nuclear power is set for a renaissance in the coming decade, at least if tech companies can keep their promises. The surge in interest recalls tech's early support for renewable power developers, as Meta pointed out in its announcement. "We want to work creatively with developers to structure an agreement that will similarly enable the development of nuclear technology," the company said. However, a lot depends on timing. Renewable power and batteries are continuing to become cheaper, and several fusion power startups are promising to start their first commercial-scale reactors in the early 2030s. Given the forecasted demand, there should be ample room for winners, but it does not mean that every competitor will succeed.