Title: Meta Launches Threads App to Challenge Twitter’s Dominance
Subtitle: Threads app attracts users unhappy with recent Twitter changes, aims to surpass 1 billion users
Date: 6 July 2023
In an attempt to dethrone Twitter’s supremacy in the social media sphere, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company’s newly-launched Threads app aims to rival the popular platform. Industry experts are optimistic about the app’s potential to attract dissatisfied Twitter users who are unhappy with recent changes to the platform.
Threads, which is currently not available in the European Union due to regulatory concerns, offers users the ability to post messages of up to 500 characters and boasts several features that are similar to Twitter. Mr. Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of maintaining a “friendly” atmosphere on the app as the key to its success in a recent post.
While Threads has been met with enthusiasm from Meta, Twitter CEO Elon Musk responded with a tongue-in-cheek remark, stating that he believes being attacked by strangers on Twitter is preferable to the artificial happiness seen on Instagram.
When asked if Threads could potentially be bigger than Twitter, Mr. Zuckerberg acknowledged that it would take time but expressed his vision for a public conversations app with over 1 billion users. He also criticized Twitter for failing to achieve this feat, and hopes Threads will succeed where Twitter fell short.
However, competitors have criticized the amount of data the app may consume. The Apple App Store suggests that Threads may access users’ health, financial, and browsing data, raising concerns about privacy and data security.
Despite these concerns, Threads has garnered significant attention in its initial release. The app surpassed two million sign-ups within the first two hours, according to Mr. Zuckerberg.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, refers to Threads as an “initial version” with plans to introduce additional features in the future. Among the planned features is the ability to interact with users on other social media platforms such as Mastodon.
The integration between Threads and Instagram provides a significant advantage compared to other Twitter alternatives such as Bluesky and Mastodon, which have struggled to gain traction. Posts can be shared seamlessly between Threads and Instagram, allowing users to include links, photos, and videos of up to five minutes in length.
However, some early users have reported issues with image uploads, suggesting potential teething problems for the app’s development.
Threads offers users a feed of posts from people they follow, referred to as “threads,” as well as recommended content. Users have control over who can mention them and can filter out replies containing specific words. Blocking, restricting, and reporting other profiles is also possible, with accounts blocked on Instagram automatically being blocked on Threads.
The release of Threads follows recent criticism of Meta’s business practices, including accusations of prioritizing profits over safety and mishandling user data, as exemplified by the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In response, Mr. Musk humorously commented on Meta’s previous controversies, expressing relief that the company is more sanely run.
While Threads is currently only available in over 100 countries, including the UK, the app has yet to launch in the EU due to regulatory uncertainties surrounding the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Meta is actively exploring ways to overcome these challenges to expand into the European market.
Meta asserts that protecting user privacy is a fundamental principle of their business, despite the data-sharing concerns raised by the EU.
As Meta ventures into competing with Twitter, it remains to be seen whether Threads can amass a user base of more than 1 billion individuals, disrupting Twitter’s dominance in the public conversations space. The battle for supremacy between these social media giants seems set to intensify as the competition for users’ attention escalates.