Meta has unveiled an app called Threads to rival Twitter, targeting users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned ” and frequently changed ” by Elon Musk.
Threads is billed as a text-based version of Meta’s photo-sharing app Instagram that the company says provides “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.”
It went live late Wednesday in Apple and Google Android app stores, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying 10 million people had signed up in the first seven hours. There were some early glitches, including Zuckerberg’s posts ” or Threads as they’re dubbed ” not loading in several places including the United Kingdom, India and Lebanon. But his replies to other users did appear.
Threads launched in more than 100 countries ” including the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan ” and has already drawn celebrity users like chef Gordon Ramsay, pop star Shakira and actor Jack Black as well as accounts from Airbnb, Guinness World Records, Netflix, Vogue magazine and other media outlets.
The Twitter-like microblogging experience suggests that Meta Platforms has been gearing up to directly challenge the platform after Musk’s tumultuous ownership has resulted in a series of unpopular changes that have turned off users and advertisers.
Zuckerberg said in some early replies on Threads that he’s focused on making the app “a friendly place,” which will “ultimately be the key to its success.”
“That’s one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently,” he wrote.
On Threads, there are buttons to like, repost, reply to or quote a thread, and users see the number of likes and replies that a post has received.
Posts are limited to 500 characters, which is more than Twitter’s 280-character threshold, and can include links, photos and videos up to five minutes long.
Despite that, Meta said its “vision is that Threads will be a new app more focused on text and dialogue, modelled after what Instagram has done for photo and video.”
Instagram users will be able to log in with their existing usernames and follow the same accounts on the new app. New users will have to set up an Instagram account.
Meta emphasised measures to keep users safe, including enforcing Instagram’s community guidelines and providing tools to control who can mention or reply to users.
The company is working on rolling the app out to more countries but pointed to regulatory uncertainty for its decision to hold off on a European launch.
Analysts said its success is far from guaranteed, citing Meta’s track record of starting standalone apps that were later shut down. Also in question is whether it’s the right move for Meta, which announced tens of thousands of layoffs over the past year amid a tech industry slowdown.
MUSK RESPONDS
Threads is the biggest challenger yet to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, which has seen a series of potential competitors emerge but not yet replace one of the social media's most iconic companies, despite its struggles.
In the first response since the launch of Zuckerberg's new offering, Musk seemed to suggest that Threads is a replica of Twitter.
Musk posted a laughing face emoticon in reply to a tweet that said Threads has been made using a keyword with only the keys for Copy and Paste features.
In another tweet, Musk said, "It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram."
DATA PRIVACY CONCERNS
Meta’s new offering has raised data privacy concerns. Threads could collect a wide range of personal information, including health, financial, contacts, browsing and search history, location data, purchases and “sensitive info,” according to its data privacy disclosure on the App Store.
Also, did you know the app is not available in the EU? Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Threads, is currently grappling with the intricacies of data sharing between the two applications, prompting the delay in making Threads available within the European Union, according to a report from Bloomberg.
HOW THREADS IS DIFFERENT FROM TWITTER
Meta has confirmed that Threads will give users a 500-character count limit. On the other hand, unverified Twitter users have a maximum of 280 characters. Also, a verified Instagram account can keep their blue badge on Threads. Twitter, meanwhile, offers that feature for $8 a month. The payment will also help subscribers increase their character limit to 25,000. Meta has so far not provided any such option.
Threads will require users to have an Instagram account. When creating a profile, the app will give an option to import bio information and followers from an existing Instagram profile. This will act in favour of Threads as it will give access to Instagram's large existing userbase.
On Threads, users (including the unverified ones) will be able to post videos that are five minutes long. On Twitter, those without the coveted blue badge can post two minutes 20 second long videos.
Twitter's homepage allows users to view what's trending and other topics they may be interested in. For now, the only way to explore what's on Threads is by scrolling through the home feed.
As of Wednesday's launch, Threads did not appear to have an option to save draft of posts, unlike Twitter where this feature is already present.
The threading experience is also different. According to screenshots of the two apps circulating online, a user has to hit enter three times to start a thread. On Twitter, it can be done by clicking on the plus button.
The new product has also not given an option to view other profile's likes, according to the screenshots, the way Twitter offers it as a separate tab.
