If you have been following information this summer, you will know that Covid-19 spikes have been a reality this summer, that you have even had people close to you infected again. However, social networks such as Threads have banned searches for this type of content at a time when information is once again important.
This does not affect Spain because Threads is not available in Europe yet, but the platform does not allow its regular users to perform searches related to the coronavirus or vaccines. Instagram has also been limiting searches for a long time in response to the spread of hoaxes and conspiracy theories, so it is to be expected that Threads has the same reason behind it.
Blocking Threads to the virus
This information, revealed by The Washington Post, explains that Threads, although its long-awaited search function was implemented just a few weeks ago, already blocks content for sensitive, violent, graphic or misleading words. Limiting access to pandemic-related content in this way would help prevent the spread of ideas that are dangerous to society, such as the anti-vaccine movement.
In fact, the most serious years of the pandemic, 2020 and 2021, were quite problematic in terms of the spread of false information, whether about infections, the virus or vaccines, with theories becoming fashionable and damaging public opinion with discourse bordering on the absurd. It is therefore understandable that Threads has not lifted the veto, considering that denialism is still present.
The present and future of Threads
Beyond the Covid-19 upturn, Threads also has many important points to address if it wants to secure its future. The first of these would be to adjust its policies so that it can legalize its arrival in the European Union, where there are tens of millions of users willing to use this service more or less frequently. The second point is to prevent users from stopping using Threads.
The third point would be to continue to expand functionality, since the Threads experience is still somewhat bland compared to other competing services, such as Twitter, the king of microblogging, which is faltering, or BlueSky, the application of Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter, which also wants to stay in this segment of social networks.
