Popular users known for spreading hate and misinformation flock to Threads, testing its ‘positive’ vibe
- The new Meta app has so far drawn 70 million users, including prominent right-wing YouTubers and anti-LGBTQ influencers, who are testing the limits of the platform
- Experts urged followers to exercise caution as the company has ‘failed consistently in governing and moderating other platforms it owns’
That promise will be more difficult to keep as the app’s popularity grows – it’s so far drawn 70 million users. That early adopter list includes some connected to the spread of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech on other sites, according to checks by Bloomberg, confirmed by independent researchers.
Already, some of those users are testing the limits of the new app, making false claims about elections, casting doubts on vaccine safety and hurling slurs at the LGBTQ community.
“We’re already seeing plenty of high-profile accounts that have been known to spread harmful and misleading content,” said Melanie Smith, head of research for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s US arm.
Among the new user accounts on Threads: Jack Posobiec, a far-right journalist who has espoused anti-Semitic and white supremacist views; Tim Pool, a YouTube commentator who has been accused of spreading right-wing misinformation; and Chaya Raichik, an anti-LGBTQ influencer and creator of the satirically named Libs of TikTok accounts.
Threads has started with some built-in defence mechanisms for harmful content, as its user policies are the same as Instagram’s. When people click to follow accounts that have been flagged for spreading misinformation in the past, for instance, Threads shows a warning asking if they’re sure.
