Meta Unveils "Threads": The Revolutionary App Set to Disrupt Twitte

Meta Introduces "Threads": A New App to Challenge Twitter

Meta, the company that owns Instagram, has launched a fresh social media platform called Threads. This move comes at a time when Twitter, under the ownership of billionaire Elon Musk, is experiencing uncertainty. Threads is now available in over 100 countries, downloadable from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Similar to Twitter, users can share short text messages that others can like, repost, and respond to. However, Threads does not include direct messaging features. On Threads, users can create posts with up to 500 characters and share links, photos, and videos of up to five minutes in length.

What is Threads?

Threads, the new social media platform integrated with Instagram, puts a strong emphasis on privacy features. Users have the option to display or hide a badge on their Instagram profile, and they can customize privacy settings separately for each app. Popular brands like Billboard, HBO, NPR, and Netflix, along with notable celebrities such as Shakira and former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, quickly created accounts on Threads. Interestingly, there were no advertisements observed during a Reuters review of the app.

Meta has actively engaged social media influencers to promote Threads and encouraged them to post at least twice a day. While other platforms like Mastodon, Post, Truth Social, and T2 have tried to attract Twitter users, they have struggled to gain significant popularity. Bluesky, a service supported by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, launched its invite-only beta version in February and reported 50,000 users by April.

Meta has faced challenges with previous attempts to introduce standalone apps that compete with established platforms, as seen with the unsuccessful launch of Lasso, which aimed to rival TikTok. In response, Meta has integrated short video functionality directly into Instagram through Reels and implemented cost-cutting measures by scaling down its experimental app design unit.