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Not everyone is thrilled with Threads’ DMs
Instagram Threads recently added direct messaging (DM) features, but faced backlash from users, especially women, who expressed concerns about harassment and unwanted messages, arguing for an opt-out option. Many users reportedly preferred Threads without DMs, highlighting the risks of increased harassment and spam as a result of the feature.
Key points
- Instagram Threads launched DM functionality, which users had requested.
- Users, particularly women, opposed this feature due to harassment fears.
- Some users pointed to previous polls showing a preference against DMs.
- The current system requires following a user for them to DM you.
- Concerns include receiving unwanted messages from bots and harassment.
- Meta's assumption that tying DMs to following grants user control may not align with user preferences.
Why it matters
- The backlash reflects growing concerns over user safety in social media environments.
- Increasing harassment of women on digital platforms has been a long-standing issue.
- With the rise of features enhancing user communication, privacy and control remains a central theme in 2025 IT trends.
The addition of DMs to Threads raises important questions about user safety and control in social media, demonstrating that features meant to enhance connectivity can also evoke fear and backlash without proper user support.