According to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, an incredible ten million users have already registered for the recently launched Threads app within its initial seven hours of availability. This remarkable surge in sign-ups highlights the immediate popularity and strong user interest surrounding Meta’s latest addition to the digital landscape. The overwhelming response serves as a testament to the app’s appeal and suggests a promising future for Threads as it establishes itself in the competitive realm of social media.
Mark Zuckerberg positioned the Threads app as a “friendly” competitor to Twitter, particularly noteworthy as Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October. Experts foresee Threads as an appealing alternative for dissatisfied Twitter users, amidst recent platform changes. With a character limit of 500, Threads offers a comparable experience to Twitter and includes numerous features reminiscent of the popular microblogging platform.
In a previous statement, Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that maintaining a “friendly” atmosphere would be the key to Threads’ success. However, Elon Musk responded by expressing a contrasting view, stating that he finds it more preferable to face criticism from strangers on Twitter rather than engage in the superficial happiness of Instagram.
When asked whether Threads could surpass Twitter in size, Zuckerberg acknowledged that it would take time, but he believes there is room for a public conversations app with over one billion users. He also mentioned that Twitter had the opportunity to achieve this but has not yet accomplished it, expressing hope that Threads can fill that gap.
Critics and competitors have raised concerns about the amount of data the app may collect. According to the Apple App Store, this could potentially include personal information such as health, financial, and browsing data associated with users’ identities. While Threads is currently available for download in over 100 countries, including the UK, it is not yet accessible in the EU due to regulatory considerations.
Threads Initial version
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, referred to the newly launched Threads app as an “initial version” with plans to introduce additional features in the future. These planned features include the ability to interact with users on other social media platforms like Mastodon.
Prior to its launch, Meta stated that their vision for Threads was to leverage Instagram’s strengths and expand them to include text-based communication. Although Threads is a standalone app, users are required to log in using their Instagram accounts. Their Instagram usernames carry over to Threads, but there is an option to customize their profiles specifically for the new app.
Users will also have the option to follow the same accounts they do on Instagram, according to Meta. The app offers users the ability to maintain privacy on Instagram while being public on Threads.
The release of Threads has the potential to pose significant challenges for Twitter. This launch comes at a time when Meta has faced criticism for its business practices. Whistleblower Frances Haugen accused the company of prioritizing profits over safety and raised concerns about platform moderation. Additionally, Meta was involved in a scandal involving third-party access to Facebook users’ personal data, including the controversial case with Cambridge Analytica.
Elon Musk made a playful remark on Monday, seemingly alluding to Meta’s tumultuous past, expressing gratitude for the company’s supposedly sane management.
While alternatives to Twitter, such as Bluesky and Mastodon, exist, they have struggled to gain widespread adoption. Threads, on the other hand, benefits from its connection to Instagram and its vast user base consisting of hundreds of millions of users.
Threads App: How does Threads work?
Threads offers users the ability to share posts between the app and Instagram, creating a seamless integration between the two platforms. These shared posts can include various types of content, such as links, photos, and videos with a maximum duration of five minutes.
However, a few early users experienced difficulties when uploading images, indicating some initial challenges that may need to be addressed.
Within Threads, users have access to a feed of posts, referred to as “threads” by Meta. This feed includes content from accounts they follow, as well as recommended content.
Users have control over their mentions, allowing them to determine who can mention them and filter out replies to posts containing specific words.
Additionally, users can unfollow, block, restrict, or report other profiles as needed. Seamless integration: Blocking an account on Instagram automatically extends to Threads, highlighting platform unity. Despite Meta’s emphasis on the Instagram connection, media coverage has emphasized the resemblances between Threads and Twitter. Some investors have even labeled the app as a potential “Twitter killer,” recognizing its potential to disrupt the microblogging giant.
Over the weekend, Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, implemented a restriction on the number of tweets users can view per day, citing concerns about extensive “data scraping.” This move was seen as a means to encourage users to subscribe to Twitter Blue, the platform’s subscription service.
In addition, Twitter has announced that its popular user dashboard, TweetDeck, will transition to a paywall system within the next 30 days.
Since Elon Musk assumed a prominent role on Twitter, numerous users have publicly expressed their dissatisfaction with the platform and his leadership, citing his erratic behavior and political views as primary concerns.
Last month, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, humorously agreed to a hypothetical cage fight. Mr. Zuckerberg’s early posts on Threads also revealed his interest in mixed martial arts.
Regulatory uncertainties hinder Threads’ availability in the EU, while remaining accessible in the UK. The EU’s Digital Markets Act plays a pivotal role in the current limitations faced by the app, impacting its expansion and availability within the European market. Meta is actively exploring the possibility of launching Threads in the EU.
The Digital Markets Act establishes regulations governing the sharing of data between large companies like Meta that own multiple platforms. The data sharing between Threads and Instagram is one aspect of the regulatory issue at hand.
Meta asserts that safeguarding privacy is a fundamental aspect of its business and operations.