Earlier this week, the Instagram thread launched what the company said was Direct Messages (DMS), the most requested feature to date. However, the company is currently facing user backlash over the addition, as users claim that they are citing harassment concerns, primarily by claiming that there is a way for women to opt out of DMS entirely.
DMs are part of other social networks that resemble threads like X, Bluesky, Mastodon, and others, but some thread users previously admitted it wasn’t an option.
“I don’t want to receive a DM. How can I shut this down? I ask on behalf of all women,” a thread user posted on the platform.
“Amazing. More ways for women to be harassed online,” another said.
“Congratulations on adding a feature that only stalkers were interested in,” he said for the third time.
Many others responded to an announcement about DMS shared in the thread by Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Several of these users, spanning dozens of posts, wrote that they didn’t want DMS or claimed “no one wanted this.” One pointed to thousands of votes showing that thread users overwhelmingly prefer not to have DM capabilities. Some asked if there was a way to turn off the feature. (there is no.)
Harassment is one concern, but others worry about flooded inboxes with bots, spam and other unwelcome outreach.
The system design method requires following the user and creating DM options. If that person is bothering you, unsubscribe and access to your inbox will be revoked. (More about nuclear options, you can also choose to block users who block them on Instagram.)
Perhaps people who are upset by the addition of this feature tend to post bad business reviews in places like Google Maps or Yelp, but are more likely to have shared their thoughts online rather than positive experiences.
Still, there may be some point for those who complain. As social media platforms grow, adding new features after the culture is already set can cause confusion. Creating private methods for users to interact will change the way some people use threads. On the other hand, like the opt-out option, the lack of control over the user’s experience makes them feel helpless.
Meta may have felt that by linking DMs to followers, they provided a way for users to determine who could reach them more personally. But what the company didn’t understand is that, in public social networks like threads, users may find themselves chasing after those they want to read, but as strangers, they would rather keep their distance.
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