Privacy Risks of Threads, BeReal, and Other New Social Platforms in 2026

Every new social media platform launches with the same promise: "We're different. We care about your privacy." But by 2026, we've seen this story play out enough times to know that excitement about new features often blinds us to the data we're giving away. Let's break down the real privacy risks of the platforms you're using right now.

Threads: Meta's Text-Based Platform

What Threads Collects

Threads, owned by Meta, inherits the same data collection infrastructure as Instagram and Facebook:

Data Category	What's Collected
Contact Info	Name, email, phone number
Financial	Purchase history (in-app)
Location	Precise GPS location
Content	Posts, messages, photos, search history
Identifiers	Device ID, user ID
Usage Data	Product interaction, advertising data
Diagnostics	Crash data, performance data
Browsing	Web browsing history via in-app browser

Key Privacy Concerns

1. Account Deletion Tied to Instagram — For a long time, deleting Threads meant deleting your Instagram. Though this has improved, the tight integration remains concerning.

2. Cross-App Data Sharing — Threads data flows into Meta's advertising ecosystem, informing ads you see on Facebook and Instagram.

3. Fediverse Integration — Threads' ActivityPub integration means your posts can be viewed on Mastodon and other federated platforms, potentially by audiences you didn't intend.

4. In-App Browser Tracking — Like Instagram, Threads uses an in-app browser that can inject tracking code into every website you visit through the app.

BeReal: The "Authentic" Photo App

The Illusion of Privacy

BeReal markets itself as an authentic, unfiltered social experience. But "authentic" doesn't mean "private."

What BeReal Knows About You

Risk Area	Details
Location	Precise location embedded in every BeReal post
Timing patterns	Exact times you're active, establishing daily routines
Dual camera	Both front and back camera photos reveal your surroundings
Contact list	Access to your full contact list for "friend discovery"
Late BeReal	Shows when you're NOT following your routine

Specific Risks

• Location patterns: Daily BeReal posts at similar times create a map of where you are throughout the day — home, work, gym, frequently visited places
• Dual camera exposure: The back camera often reveals more than intended — your workspace, your home interior, other people who didn't consent to being photographed
• Time stamps as intelligence: Regular posting patterns reveal your daily schedule to anyone who follows you
• Screenshot notifications: While BeReal notifies you of screenshots, the content can still be saved through screen recording

Privacy Comparison: New vs. Established Platforms

Feature	Threads	BeReal	Mastodon	Bluesky
E2E Encryption	No	No	Varies by instance	No
Location required	No	Yes (by default)	No	No
Data sold to advertisers	Yes (Meta ecosystem)	Limited	No	No (currently)
Account deletion	Independent (improved)	Full deletion available	Full deletion	Full deletion
Open source	No	No	Yes	Partially
Algorithmic feed	Yes	No	No	User choice

Hidden Privacy Risks Across All New Platforms

1. Permission Creep

New platforms start with minimal permissions, then gradually request more:

• Camera → Camera + Microphone → Location → Contacts → Health data
• Each update adds "exciting new features" that require more access
• Denying permissions often means losing functionality

2. Data Portability Gaps

• Most new platforms make it easy to import data but hard to export
• Your content, connections, and history become platform hostages
• Account deletion rarely means actual data deletion from servers

3. Third-Party App Ecosystem

• New platforms attract third-party apps and integrations
• Each connected app is another potential data leak
• "Login with Threads" spreads your data further

4. Metadata Leakage

Even with "privacy settings," platforms collect metadata:

What You Think You're Sharing	What You're Actually Sharing
A photo	Photo + location + time + device info + network info
A text post	Text + typing patterns + device fingerprint
A profile view	Your interest graph + browsing pattern
Nothing (just browsing)	Screen time + scroll patterns + ad engagement

How to Protect Your Privacy on New Platforms

Before Signing Up

• Read the privacy policy (at least the data collection section)
• Check what permissions the app requires
• Search for security audits or privacy analyses
• Consider: do you really need this app?

Account Setup

• Use a dedicated email address for social media accounts
• Don't use "Sign in with Google/Apple/Facebook"
• Disable location services for the app
• Use a username that doesn't reveal your real identity
• Set the profile to private by default

Ongoing Practices

• Review permissions after each app update
• Audit connected third-party apps quarterly
• Be mindful of what's visible in photos (background, screens, documents)
• Don't click links in DMs — open them in a separate browser
• Periodically download your data to see what's being collected

When You Need to Share Sensitive Information

Social media DMs are the worst possible way to share passwords, personal details, or sensitive documents. These platforms store messages on their servers, often unencrypted, and can access them for advertising purposes.

When you need to send sensitive information to someone you met on Threads or BeReal, use LOCK.PUB to create a password-protected, self-destructing link. The information is encrypted and never stored in any social media platform's servers.

The Privacy Paradox

We join new platforms seeking privacy from old ones, only to hand over the same data to new companies. The cycle repeats:

1. Platform launches with minimal data collection
2. Users flock to it as a "privacy-respecting alternative"
3. Platform grows, monetization pressure increases
4. Data collection expands to fund the business
5. Users seek the next "private" alternative

Breaking this cycle requires conscious decisions about what we share, where we share it, and understanding that every "free" platform has a business model built on your data.

Conclusion

New social platforms aren't inherently more private — they're just newer. Threads collects as much data as any Meta product. BeReal knows your location patterns and daily routines. The key is not to avoid these platforms entirely, but to use them with awareness.

Limit permissions, separate your accounts, be mindful of what your photos reveal, and when you need to share anything truly sensitive, use purpose-built encrypted tools like LOCK.PUB instead of platform DMs. Privacy is a practice, not a feature.