Threads and Instagram are the worst apps for user privacy, according to a recent study, which revealed that these Meta apps collect vast amounts of user data for marketing and advertising.
In the study published on August 8, Home Security Heroes said while up to 68 percent of social media apps track user data for marketing, Meta apps are particularly “notorious” for this.
“Meta’s ecosystem, which includes Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and Messenger, collects the most user data for advertising and marketing purposes,” the report said.
Explaining why social media apps generally collect so much user data, the researchers said 62 percent of the apps they analyzed collect user data for “their own marketing activities,” and 43% of them collect data to share with third parties.
For this study, Home Security Heroes examined various social media apps, analyzing how much data they collect, how much users can control their data, user experience, and security.
Meta’s Invasive Data Collection
Threads and Instagram track 86 percent of user data, according to Home Security Heroes. This could be why Instagram is the most deleted app, followed by Facebook.
The researchers noted that Threads, billed as Meta’s answer to X (formerly Twitter), is more invasive than the latter.
“While Twitter gives users 82% more control over their personal information, Threads collects 50% more personal data than Twitter,” the report reads.
Threads recorded over 100 million users less than a week after its launch in July. However, the app is still unavailable in the European Union (EU). While Meta says it’s holding back on launching Threads in the region due to “upcoming regulatory uncertainty,” critics insist the app’s invasive data collection falls foul of EU privacy laws.
According to Threads’ privacy policy, the platform collects a broad range of user data — from basic profile details like name and email address to nuanced activity metrics such as content interactions, hashtags used, and time spent on the app. Threads also has plans to integrate with third-party services, which may expand the scope of its data collection.
Flickr Leads in Protecting User Privacy
Home Security Heroes found Flickr to be the safest social media platform for personal privacy. Following it are apps like CaringBridge, ClubHouse, Nexopia, and Likee, which, according to the study, “collect minimal to no personal information about their users.”
In fact, “most Twitter rivals tend to refuse to collect personal data,” the researchers said, explaining that 63% of them, including Bluesky, Cohost, Mastodon, and Substack Notes, collect no data.
In terms of the real-world cost of these “free” platforms, if users were to monetize the personal information they share, Home Security Heroes estimates that the value would be around $3,900 per app within Meta’s social media ecosystem.
We recommend you avoid revealing sensitive information on your social media profile and posts. Also, manage your privacy settings to limit the information you share with these apps. Consult our in-depth guides to optimize your privacy settings on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter.
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