**Meta’s Threads “Ghost Posts” Accidentally Lingered in Google Search Results—Company Issues Fix**
Meta’s recently launched “ghost post” feature on Threads, which promises to automatically delete posts after 24 hours, experienced an unexpected privacy hiccup this week. Several users discovered that these supposedly temporary posts were appearing in Google search results even after their expiration, raising concerns about how truly “disappearing” online content can ever be.
**Discovery of the Bug**
The issue first came to light as journalists and tech-savvy users were testing the new ghost post feature following its rollout. The feature is designed to mimic the ephemeral nature of stories or vanishing messages found on other platforms, allowing users to post content that will self-delete after a day. However, when Mashable’s Tim Marcin began running tests, he found that text from multiple ghost posts—captured in screenshots—could be found by searching Google even after the posts had expired on Threads.
For example, Marcin searched for text from Mark Zuckerberg’s own ghost post, which announced the new feature, and found cached versions of the post still visible in Google’s search results. Other examples included posts from the Threads user @hi.nixson and a journalist, Ben Werdmuller, who had commented on Meta’s history in Myanmar. In these cases, the posts themselves were no longer accessible on Threads—clicking the links led to error messages and blank pages, which is expected after posts expire. Yet, their content could still be retrieved through Google’s cache.
**Not All Posts Affected**
Interestingly, not every ghost post seemed to be affected by the bug. In Mashable’s tests, some ghost posts shared on launch day could be found in Google results, while others did not appear. This inconsistency suggested that only certain posts were being scraped and indexed by Google before their deletion, though the exact pattern was unclear.
**The Risks of “Disappearing” Content**
The incident highlights a broader truth about the internet: content posted online is rarely, if ever, truly gone—even if a platform promises deletion. Screenshots, web caches, and third-party archiving tools can all preserve content beyond its intended lifespan. While users may expect that ephemeral features like ghost posts offer greater privacy or a sense of impermanence, the reality is that such safety is never guaranteed.
Nevertheless, it was still surprising to see a feature specifically billed as “disappearing” leaving digital traces on the world’s largest search engine. For users who relied on the feature for privacy or spontaneity, it was a wake-up call.
**Meta’s Response and the Fix**
After the issue gained public attention through media coverage and social media posts, Meta responded promptly. On October 30, 2025, Meta confirmed to Mashable that they had identified a bug that allowed expired ghost posts to remain visible in web searches. Meta spokesperson Jocelyn Jones explained: “We found a bug that let expired ghost posts appear in