Threads Terms of Use
Welcome to the Threads Service (as defined below). These Threads Terms of Use (the “Terms”) govern your use of the Threads Service and supplement and amend the Instagram Terms of Use and the Instagram Community Guidelines which are incorporated into these Terms by reference. The Threads Service is accessed through and part of the “Meta Products” provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. (“Meta”), and your use of the Threads Service is deemed part of your use of Instagram (as defined below). Depending on your country of residence, aspects of this service may be owned, operated, or controlled by Meta Platforms, Inc., Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, or its affiliates. References to “us,” “we,” and “our” mean either Meta Platforms, Inc. or Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, or its affiliates, as appropriate. Any capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning given in the Instagram Terms. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the Instagram Terms, these Terms govern solely with respect to your use of the Threads Service and solely to the extent of the conflict. By using the Threads Service, you agree to these Terms.
Dispute Resolution on an Individual Basis: You and we agree to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Threads Service in accordance with the arbitration and/or forum-selection provisions in the Instagram Terms of Use in effect at the time that you or we commence the dispute.
The following definitions apply to these Terms:
  • “Instagram” means the “Service” as defined in the Instagram Terms.
  • “Instagram Terms” means collectively, the Instagram Terms of Use and the Instagram Community Guidelines.
  • “Protocol” means an interoperable protocol that allows social networking and other services to interface with a network of servers to facilitate the exchange of content and information between the users of such servers and interfaces. For clarity, the Protocol is not part of the Threads Service or Instagram.
  • “Third Party Content” means content and information that has been shared to a Third Party Server by end users of a Third Party Service, even if that content may be viewed or interacted with on the Threads Service.
  • “Third Party Server” means a server operated or controlled by a third party that is integrated with the Protocol and that stores content and information uploaded or shared by users of Third Party Services. For clarity, because the Protocol is interoperable, to the extent the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, content and information on a Third Party Server may be accessed and stored by the Threads Service through the Protocol as a result of interacting with the Threads Service.
  • “Third Party Service” means a service/client operated by a third party that also interfaces with the Protocol to allow such service’s respective users to upload, access, interact with, and share content and information to and from a broader community of individuals using services integrated with the Protocol.
  • “Third Party Users” means end users that access a Third Party Service from such Third Party Service’s websites or applications.
  • “Threads Content” means content and information that has been uploaded or submitted to a Threads Server by a Threads User.
  • “Threads Server” means a server/client operated or controlled by Meta that stores content and information uploaded or shared by users of the Threads Service, and which may be integrated with the Protocol. For clarity, because the Protocol is interoperable, to the extent the Threads Service acts as an interface with the Protocol, content and information on a Threads Server may be accessed and stored by Third Party Services as a result of using the Threads Service.
  • “Threads Service” means the Threads application or website, an Instagram Service, that allows Threads Users to share, view, and interact with information to and from other Threads Users, and any content that is provided directly by Meta via such application or website. When the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, the Threads Service will then also function as an interface with the Protocol and allow users to interact with Third Party Users and Third Party Services that are also integrated with the Protocol.
  • “Threads Users” means end users that access the Threads Service from the Threads Service’s website or application.
  1. Understanding the Threads Service
    1. Non-Interoperable Functionality
      1. The Threads Service allows you to upload, access and share content and information with other individuals using the Threads Service. When the Threads Service is not integrated with the Protocol, content or information you share will be stored on Threads Servers and will not be shared to Third Party Services.
    2. Interoperable Capabilities
      1. Once the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, the interoperable capabilities of the Threads Service function as an interface for you to be able to upload, access, share, and interact with content and information to and from the broader community of individuals using Third Party Services via the Protocol. Interoperable capabilities will continue to evolve and may not always be available via the Threads Service.
      2. Once the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, Meta will share your content, information, and interactions to Third Party Services. Please be aware that you are directing us to deliver your information to services not controlled by Meta as necessary to integrate with the Protocol, so that your information can be stored and processed by the Third Party Services.
      3. Although certain activities within the Threads Service may rely on use of the Protocol, the Protocol is separate and distinct from the Threads Service. The Protocol is not considered a “Meta Product” or “Service” under these Terms or the Instagram Terms. Meta does not provide, own or control any part of the Protocol and will not be responsible or liable to you for any elements of the Protocol or any Third Party Services that you may interact with via the Protocol. Please note that the Protocol or any related Third Party Services may be subject to different terms and conditions and/or privacy policies, so you should review those carefully if independently using or accessing them.
  2. Who Can Use the Threads Service
    1. In order to use the Threads Service, you must be in compliance with these Terms and the rest of the Instagram Terms. For clarity, any provisions under the Instagram Terms regarding who is able to use Instagram will also apply to your ability to use the Threads Service.
    2. You will sign up and login to the Threads Service using your Instagram account or any other account that we may choose to enable in the future. You are solely responsible for any activity on your profile and for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your password.
    3. In order to use the Threads Service, we may request that you provide additional information or documents regarding your use of the Threads Service, as required to provide the Threads Service or by applicable laws. You agree to provide such information or documents and represent and warrant that all information you provide to Meta is accurate and up to date. You acknowledge that in the process of these identity verification procedures we may make inquiries, including through third parties, in order to verify your identity.
  3. How You Can’t Use the Threads Service
    1. You agree that you shall not, nor shall you cause or permit any third party to do, or attempt to do any of the following in connection with your use of the Threads Service: (i) exploit the Threads Service for any commercial purpose; (ii) introduce any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs or other materials that are malicious or technologically harmful into our systems; (iii) circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any technological measure or content protections of the Threads Service; and (iv) use any robot, spider, crawlers, scraper or other automatic device, process, software or queries that intercepts, “mines”, scrapes, extracts or otherwise accesses the Threads Service to monitor, extract, copy or collect information or data from the Threads Service, or engage in any manual process to do the same.
    2. Additionally, you agree that the Instagram Terms of Use, including the section titled “Your Commitments” also applies to your use of the Threads Service.
  4. Content
    1. Threads Service Features and Tools:
      1. If you upload or share any Threads Content, you hereby grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly perform or display, translate and create derivative works of your Threads Content (in accordance with the Privacy Policy and Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy). You also represent and warrant that (i) you have, or have obtained, all necessary rights, licenses, consents, permissions, power and/or authority (including all intellectual property rights) to grant Meta the rights to use your Threads Content, and (ii) your Threads Content will not contain any material that infringes any third party’s rights, including any intellectual property rights, or any applicable laws, unless an exception or limitation applies under applicable law. This license will end when your Threads Content is deleted from the Threads Server, subject to the deletion limitations noted below.
      2. When using the Threads Service, all content that you upload or share must comply with the Instagram Community Guidelines as the service is part of Instagram.
    2. Interoperable Capabilities: From and after any periods when the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, the license granted in Section 4(a) in and to your Threads Content shall also include the right to make available and share your Threads Content to and with Third Party Users and on Third Party Services that are also integrated with the Protocol. You acknowledge that from and after any periods when the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, Threads Content may be hosted on either a Threads Server or a Third Party Server, and that Meta shall only be responsible for Threads Content that is hosted on a Threads Server. To the extent the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, you acknowledge that following deletion, Threads Content may continue to be stored and/or archived on Third Party Servers that have accessed such Threads Content via the Protocol, which Meta has no control over.
  5. Content Deletion and Deactivating or Terminating Your Threads Profile
    1. Threads Service Features and Tools:
      1. Meta has the right to (i) remove any Threads Content that is stored on Threads Servers from being accessible from within the Threads Service if Meta believes that such Threads Content violates these Terms or the Instagram Terms or if Meta is permitted or required to do so by applicable law, (ii) provide notice to Third Party Servers about enforcement actions taken with respect to Threads Content, and (iii) take any action that Meta believes is necessary or appropriate if Meta reasonably believes that any such Threads Content infringes the rights of others and/or could create liability or adverse legal or regulatory implications for Meta or other Threads Users.
      2. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we can refuse to provide or stop providing all or part of the Threads Service to you (including terminating or disabling your profile and access to the Threads Service) without notice (or after providing reasonable notice where required by applicable law), for any reason, including to protect our community or services, including Instagram, if you violate these Terms or the Instagram Terms, or where we are permitted or required to do so by law. We can also terminate or change the Threads Service or stop providing all or part of the Threads Service in our reasonable discretion.
      3. If you believe your profile has been terminated in error, or you want to disable or permanently delete your profile, consult our Help Center.
      4. When you deactivate your Threads profile, your Threads information will be hidden from view by other users, but it will remain on the Threads Servers. To delete your information, you can find and delete individual content, delete your Threads profile, or delete your Instagram account. When you request to delete your Threads profile or Instagram account, the deletion process will automatically begin no more than 30 days after your request. It may take up to 90 days to delete your Threads information after the deletion process begins. Subject to Section 5(b) (Interoperable Capabilities) below, while the deletion process is being undertaken, deleted information is no longer visible on the Threads Service by Threads Users, but remains subject to these Terms and the Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy. After the Threads Content is deleted from Threads Servers, it may take us up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery systems.
      5. Should you choose to delete your Threads Content, Threads profile, or Instagram account, deletion from Threads Servers may not occur within 90 days where:
        1. your Threads Content has been used, copied, reposted or shared by others in accordance with the license granted under these Terms and they have not deleted it (in which case this license will continue to apply until that content is deleted);
        2. deletion within 90 days is not possible due to technical limitations of our systems, including the Threads Servers, in which case, we will complete the deletion as soon as technically feasible; or
        3. deletion would restrict our ability to: (I) investigate or identify illegal activity or violations of our terms and policies (for example, to identify or investigate misuse of our products or systems); (II) protect the safety and security of our products, systems, and Threads Users; (III) comply with a legal obligation, such as the preservation of evidence; or (IV) comply with a request of a judicial or administrative authority, law enforcement, or a government agency; in which case, the content will be retained for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it has been retained (the exact duration will vary on a case-by-case basis).
      6. If you delete or we disable your Threads profile or Instagram account, these Terms shall terminate as an agreement between you and us, but this section and the section in the Instagram Terms called “Our Agreement and What Happens if We Disagree” will still apply even after your profile or account is terminated, disabled, or deleted.
    2. Interoperable Capabilities
      1. Meta has the right to (i) remove any Third Party Content that is stored on Threads Servers from being accessible from within the Threads Service (a) if Meta believes that such Third Party Content violates these Terms or the Instagram Terms, (b) if Meta is permitted or required to do so by applicable law, or (c) for any reason in Meta’s sole discretion and (ii) take any action that Meta believes is necessary or appropriate if Meta reasonably believes that any such Third Party Content infringes the rights of others and/or could create liability or adverse legal or regulatory implications for Meta or other Threads Users.
      2. You acknowledge that any Threads Content or Third Party Content that was removed or made inaccessible from the Threads Service by Meta, while the Threads Service is integrated with the Protocol, might still (i) be viewed on Third Party Services that have accessed such Threads Content via the Protocol or (ii) stored on Third Party Servers, as Meta does not have control over such Third Party Services or Third Party Servers. For the avoidance of doubt, you acknowledge that Meta can only delete Threads Content that is hosted on Threads Servers, and Meta cannot remove or delete any Threads Content from any Third Party Services or Third Party Servers.
  6. Privacy
    1. Our Privacy Policy and the Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy explain how we collect, use, and share information across the Meta Products, including for the Threads Service. You must agree to the Privacy Policy and Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy to use the Threads Service.
  7. DMCA Policy
    1. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), and other applicable laws, if you repeatedly post content that infringes someone else’s intellectual property rights, such as copyrights or trademarks, your profile may be removed under the Threads Service’s repeat infringer policy in our sole discretion. Under this policy you could also lose access to certain features or functionality on the Threads Service. We may also limit access to the Threads Service and/or terminate the profiles of any Threads Users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement. The actions taken under these policies may depend on the nature of the reported content and where it was posted.
    2. If you believe that any Threads Content or any Third Party Content accessible within the Threads Service infringes upon any copyright which you own or control, you may file a notification of such infringement with our Designated Agent as set forth below:

      Threads Designated Agent
      Meta Platforms, Inc.
      1 Meta Way
      Menlo Park, CA 94025
      Phone: 1 (650) 543-4800
      Email: ip@instagram.com
    3. If you knowingly misrepresent in your notification that the material or activity is infringing, you may be liable for any damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees, incurred by us or the alleged infringer as the result of our relying upon such misrepresentation in removing or disabling access to the material or activity claimed to be infringing.
  8. Ownership
    1. You acknowledge and agree that Meta and its licensors own all rights, title and interest in and to the Threads Service (other than any Threads Content). You agree that you will not remove, alter or obscure any copyright, trademark, service mark or other proprietary rights notices incorporated in or accompanying any of the Threads Service. For clarity, Meta does not own or control the Protocol or any Third Party Services accessible through the Protocol.
  9. Meta’s Liability to You
    1. Meta will not have any responsibility or liability to you for (i) any interactions you have with Threads Users or, to the extent applicable, your activities on any Third Party Services or interactions with Third Party Users; (ii) any Threads Content that may be sent to Third Party Services from the Threads Service or Third Party Content that may be sent from Third Party Services to the Threads Services, including any obligation to review or takedown such content; and (iii) all activities occurring off the Threads Service, including on any Third Party Services, in connection with data or information accessed through the Threads Service.
  10. Indemnification
    1. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Meta and its parents, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, partners and licensors from and against any and all claims, costs, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and costs) arising out of or related to your interaction with or activities on Third Party Services via the Protocol, if applicable, including any of your Threads Content that may be sent to any Third Party Services or stored on any Third Party Servers.
  11. Updates
    1. We may modify these Terms from time to time, in which case we will update the “Last Updated” date at the bottom of these Terms. If we make changes that are material, we will use reasonable efforts to provide you with notice by e-mail and/or by placing notice on the Threads Service before we make changes to these Terms, unless the changes are required for safety or security purposes or to comply with applicable law (in which case we will provide notice as soon as reasonably practicable). However, it is your sole responsibility to review these Terms from time to time to view any such changes. The updated Terms will be effective as of the time of posting, or such later date as may be specified in the updated Terms. Your continued access or use of the Threads Services after the modifications have been effective will be deemed your acceptance of the modified Terms.
Last Updated: 4 December 2023
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