Threads

Is Threads safe?

Threads is safer than X for most people, and less risky for teenagers than its sister app Instagram, mainly because under-18s cannot send or receive DMs. The catch is privacy. Threads is built on your Instagram account and Meta's ad system, it collects the same long list of data, and its messages are not end-to-end encryptedEnd-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary. We score it 46/100, ahead of Instagram (40) and X (37), but behind Snapchat (50).

What Threads collects

The App Store label for Threads lists 14 types of data linked to your identity: health and fitness, purchases, financial info, location, contact info, contacts, user content, search history, browsing history, identifiers, usage data, sensitive info, diagnostics and other data. That is the same list as Instagram and Facebook. Third-party advertising is among the stated purposes.

One difference is worth noting. Facebook and Instagram both declare data "used to track you" across other companies' apps and websites. Threads, as of October 2026, does not. That is a small point in its favour, and labels are self-reported, so it could change as ads grow. Meta began rolling out ads to all Threads users worldwide in January 2026, after a year of tests.

Messages without end-to-end encryption

Threads added DMs in July 2025. They are limited to users aged 18 and over, and at launch only mutual followers could message each other; message requests and group chats came later. Meta told reporters at the time that Threads DMs would not be end-to-end encryptedEnd-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary.

That puts Threads alongside Instagram, where Meta switched off its optional encrypted chats in May 2026, and behind Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which encrypt personal chats by default. Anything you send in a Threads DM can be read by Meta and handed over under a legal order.

Teenagers on Threads

Threads inherits Instagram's Teen Account rules. Under-18s start with a private profile, limits on sensitive content and a sleep mode that mutes notifications from 10pm to 7am. In July 2026 Meta added Threads to Family Center, so parents can see daily use, set time limits across devices, block access at night and control who can tag their teen. Under-16s need a parent's approval to relax private accounts and content limits. The tools started in the US and Meta says they will reach every market by the end of 2026.

These are meaningful defaults. They rest on teenagers giving their real age, which is the weak point the European Commission flagged for Instagram and Facebook in its 2026 preliminary findings.

Scams and moderation

Threads has not drawn the regulatory action that X and Facebook have. Its main nuisances are spam replies, engagement bait and accounts that push followers to off-platform "investment" chats. Because it shares Meta's moderation systems and its ad network, expect the same fake-shop and celebrity investment ads that run on Instagram as ads spread.

Threads or X: which is safer?

Most people choosing between the two care about different risks, so here is how they compare on the points we score:

	Threads	X
Data used to track you (App Store)	None listed	Seven types, including location
Data linked to you	14 types	10 types
End-to-end encryptedEnd-to-end encryptionEncryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read a message. The company running the service cannot see its content.More in the glossary DMs	No	Not confirmed by default
Teen DMs	Not available under 18	Allowed
Penalties since 2022	None specific to Threads	€120 million EU fine, $150 million FTC penalty

On data collection, the two are close, and Meta knows more about you overall because Threads links to Instagram. On scams, impersonation and abusive content, Threads is the safer place, mostly because a paid Meta Verified badge requires an ID check and teen defaults are stricter.

How to make Threads safer

1. Make your profile private in the Threads privacy settings if you only want approved followers to see your posts.
2. Limit who can mention you and reply to you, and use hidden words to filter abusive replies.
3. Leave fediverse sharing off unless you want your posts copied to servers Meta does not control.
4. Protect your Instagram login with two-factor authenticationTwo-factor authenticationSigning in with a second proof of identity on top of your password, such as a code from an app, a security key or a passkey.More in the glossary in Accounts Center, since it also unlocks Threads.
5. Keep sensitive conversations out of Threads DMs.

How we scored it

Privacy (32) is low because of the broad data collection and ad use, though better than Instagram's because Threads declares no cross-app tracking. Security (55) reflects unencrypted DMs. Scams and harmful content (52) and regulatory record (35) are better than for Meta's older apps: Threads has no fines of its own, but Meta's record counts against it.