Instagram plans new 'intimate' app called Threads
Facebook-owned messaging app will join Messenger and WhatsApp in its portfolio
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Your support makes all the difference.Instagram is developing a new messaging app called Threads that is designed to foster “constant, intimate” connections between its users, according to a report.
The new app will allow people to share their location, speed and battery life with their “close friends” list on Instagram.
If launched, Threads will be the latest messaging app added to Facebook‘s portfolio, which already owns Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp.
Facebook has already announced plans to integrate the messaging platforms of its apps in order to create the “best messaging experiences” for its billions of users around the world.
It is not clear whether Threads would be included in this but the new app is already being tested internally, according The Verge, who first reported the news.
Screenshots of Threads seen by the publication revealed how the companion app will work.
“Opt in automatic sharing, and Threads will regularly update your status, giving your friends a real-time view of information about your location, speed and more,” The Verge reported.
“You can also update your status manually, with statuses appearing in the main feed along with messages.”
A spokesperson for Instagram refused to comment on the report when contacted by The Independent.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this year that he believed private messaging was critical to the technology giant’s future.
“I believe the future of communication will increasingly shift to private, encrypted services where people can be confident what they say to each other stays secure and their messages and content won’t stick around forever,” Zuckerberg said in March.
“This is the future I hope we will help bring about.”
Despite these ambitions, data experts have warned that Facebook’s plans to integrate all of its major messaging apps could have a detrimental impact on people’s privacy.
Tim Mackey, who works for software firm Synopsys, said the move was particularly concerning given Facebook’s “spotty history” when it comes to the treatment of its users’ data.
“Merging personal information and privacy configuration from three significant applications won’t be trivial,” Mr MacKey told The Independent in January.
“Facebook development teams would do well to look at this precedent and prioritise user privacy.”
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