Instagram Threads has rolled out direct messages, its “most requested” feature, only to be met with a predictable wave of backlash, primarily from women demanding a way to opt out.
Users are voicing concerns over harassment risks, spam, and stalker access, criticizing Meta for adding DMs without providing an off-switch.
Despite Threads copying the DM playbook from platforms like X and Mastodon, many users preferred the previous no-DM model, citing a poll that showed overwhelming disinterest in the feature.
The current system only allows DMs from people you follow, and while unfollowing or blocking someone revokes access, critics argue it’s an inadequate solution to online safety.
The update has disrupted the platform’s existing culture, forcing private communication onto users who joined for public discourse, not unsolicited messages.
As usual, Meta’s “community-first” innovation feels more like a tone-deaf feature dump masquerading as progress, with zero user control and all the bot spam you never asked for.
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