Threads, the Twitter rival launched by Meta, has garnered significant attention, logging an impressive five million sign-ups within its first four hours of operation. The app, offering lengthier posts and boasting celebrity backers, bears a strong resemblance to its troubled competitor, Elon Musk’s platform. Meta’s decision to bring forward the app’s debut by 15 hours further fueled curiosity, as it became freely available in 100 countries on the Apple and Google app stores. However, regulatory concerns prevent its availability in the EU.
Threads and Its Similarities to Twitter
Meta wasted no time in attracting prominent brands such as Billboard, HBO, NPR, and Netflix, who created accounts shortly after the app’s launch. The company also revealed initial celebrity backers including Shakira and Gordon Ramsay, with reports suggesting that Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama were approached as well. Threads requires users to have an Instagram account to log in, enabling them to follow the same accounts they follow on Instagram if they have joined the new app.
Visually, Threads closely resembles Twitter, with slight wording changes such as “reposts” instead of retweets and “threads” instead of tweets. This is not the first time Meta has replicated features of rival platforms, as seen with the 2020 launch of Instagram’s Reels, which drew similarities to TikTok’s short-form videos.
The Launch Amid Twitter’s Turbulence
Meta’s launch of Threads comes in the wake of a tumultuous period for Twitter. The platform imposed tweet viewing limits, citing data harvesting by companies building artificial intelligence models as one of the reasons for this change. In response to the challenges faced by Twitter, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed the need for a public conversations app with over a billion users, expressing hopes that Threads would succeed in fulfilling this demand.
Reception and Potential Impact
The reaction to Threads’ debut varied from caution to enthusiasm, with many praising its user-friendly interface. Some even suggested that Elon Musk should be concerned about the competition posed by Threads. The app’s seamless integration with Instagram highlights the power of Meta as a company. Interestingly, much of the conversation surrounding Threads took place on Twitter, with the hashtag “Threads” trending on the platform.
Meta’s Future Plans
Meta describes Threads as a separate space for real-time updates and public conversations, aiming to expand on Instagram’s strengths in text-based content creation. The company also plans to make Threads compatible with ActivityPub, an interoperable technology used by platforms like Mastodon. This compatibility would allow users to transfer their accounts and followers to other ActivityPub-supported apps, fostering diverse and interconnected networks.
Safety Measures and User Privacy
In response to concerns regarding child safety, Meta has defaulted all UK Threads users under 18 to a private profile, visible only to approved connections. Additionally, Meta has announced that Threads will not feature ads in its first year. The main feed combines content from followed accounts and algorithmically recommended content, with no immediate plans to allow users to restrict it to accounts they follow.
The early success of Threads indicates a strong interest in a Twitter alternative that offers lengthier posts and a user-friendly experience. Meta’s strategic launch of the app amidst Twitter’s turbulence further contributes to the evolving landscape of social media platforms. As Threads gains traction, it will be interesting to observe its impact on the market and whether it can carve out its own unique space alongside other Twitter alternatives.
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