Maia Estianty privatizes Threads account following social media backlash

Indonesian musician Maia Estianty has set her Threads account to private following significant backlash from social media users. The controversy began after she posted a series of messages regarding hard work, charity, and sustenance, using an analogy of wild birds to suggest that those lacking financial means must work harder to find food.

Critics labeled the posts as ‘tone deaf,’ arguing that the musician failed to show empathy for the economic struggles of many people who work long hours yet remain in poverty. Some users also took issue with her use of the word ‘we’ in a separate post where she prayed for regions affected by forest and land fires in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua, suggesting that the public shared responsibility for the environmental damage.

Before privatizing her account on October 11, 2026, Estianty had shared prayers for the victims of the fires, asking for rain to extinguish the blazes and for forgiveness regarding human negligence in protecting the earth.