Instagram Threads, Meta's latest social network, has sparked concerns about its commitment to integrating with the open social web, also known as the fediverse. Despite its plans to allow users to interact with people on other services like Mastodon, the company has not confirmed whether it will add account portability features to its roadmap, allowing users to move their accounts elsewhere if they disagree with Meta's policies.

The lack of clarity on account portability comes at a critical time for Meta, which has recently announced significant changes to its content moderation rules and fact-checking program. The company has opted for a crowdsourced Community Notes feature, similar to X's, and is disabling a system that penalizes misinformation by downranking it across its platforms. These changes may prompt users to reevaluate their relationship with Meta and consider relocating their accounts to other services.

Meanwhile, Gen Z users are increasingly dissatisfied with Meta's dominance over social media, with many flocking to alternative platforms like RedNote (Xiaohongshu), a Chinese social network. As of this week, some 700 million TikTok users have joined RedNote, making jokes on TikTok about bidding farewell to their "Chinese spy."

Threads was initially seen as a new direction for Meta, signaling a shift towards joining the open social web rather than competing with it. However, critics have expressed concerns that Meta's move into the fediverse may be an attempt to dominate the open web by rapidly establishing itself as the largest federated client, giving it control over the fediverse's future direction.

Despite these concerns, Meta has continued to roll out integrations with the fediverse on Threads, including cross-posting to Mastodon and displaying replies from Mastodon users within Threads. The company has also invested in user education, providing guides and explainers about the fediverse within the Threads app and on the web.

However, account portability remains a crucial component of becoming a truly federated app. This feature would allow users to take their accounts elsewhere if they disagree with the way their federated server is operating, without losing their followers, follows, bookmarks, lists, and more.

In a December 2023 meeting between Meta representatives and members of the fediverse community, Meta shared that users' concerns over the idea that Meta "owned" their followers prompted its move to the fediverse. According to attendee Tom Coates, Meta wanted to integrate with the fediverse to address users' concerns over their social graph, seeking the ability to move elsewhere if needed.

When asked about the status of account portability efforts, a Meta spokesperson stated that the topic was "top of mind" but declined to share details about the roadmap ahead. This lack of transparency has sparked concerns that Meta may not prioritize account portability, instead focusing on keeping users on Threads.

Threads has grown rapidly, with 300 million monthly active users and 100 million daily active users, making it the largest federated app if it were fully federated. While the company may still intend to add an account portability feature, its current priorities remain unclear, leaving users wondering about the true extent of their control over their data and online presence.

The implications of Meta's approach to the fediverse and account portability are far-reaching, with potential consequences for the future of social media and user empowerment. As the tech giant continues to shape the online landscape, it remains to be seen whether it will prioritize user autonomy and true integration with the open social web.