Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that its newly-launched Threads app garnered an impressive ten million users within its first seven hours. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, positioned Threads as a “friendly” competitor to Twitter, which was recently acquired by Elon Musk. Experts speculate that the app may attract disenchanted Twitter users who are unhappy with recent changes to the platform. Threads allows users to post up to 500 characters and offers features reminiscent of Twitter.
In a bid to differentiate Threads from its competitors, Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of maintaining a “friendly” platform as the key to its success. However, Elon Musk responded with a jab, stating that he would prefer to face attacks from strangers on Twitter rather than indulge in the “false happiness” of Instagram. When asked if Threads could surpass Twitter, Zuckerberg expressed his belief that a public conversation app with over one billion users is possible, highlighting Twitter’s missed opportunity in achieving this milestone.
While Threads is a standalone app, users log in using their Instagram accounts, enabling them to maintain their existing username and follow accounts from Instagram. The app allows for privacy settings, enabling users to be private on Instagram while being public on Threads. However, concerns have been raised about the amount of data that the app may collect, including personal and browsing data linked to users’ identities. Currently available in over 100 countries, Threads is not yet accessible in the EU due to regulatory uncertainties surrounding data sharing between platforms.
The release of Threads comes amid ongoing criticism of Meta’s business practices and its handling of privacy and safety concerns. The company has faced scrutiny for prioritizing profits over user safety and has been embroiled in controversies such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Threads, with its connection to Instagram and its vast user base, poses a real challenge to Twitter, which has been grappling with user dissatisfaction and recent changes to its platform. As the competition between social media giants intensifies, the future of public conversations on digital platforms remains uncertain.