Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has launched its new platform, Instagram’s Threads app, in more than 100 countries. This bold move to take on Twitter in microblogging has sparked a new social media rivalry. The app is available on Android OS and iOS devices.
The release of the Threads app comes at a time when Twitter, under the leadership of the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has faced multiple problems in recent months. From rate limiting its own users to points where unverified users can only browse the website for a few minutes before being locked out, to preventing anyone from viewing tweets if they’re not logged in (then cancel silently this change), and more.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is looking to capitalize on growing negativity towards Twitter on several issues, luring users to his Chat app.
10 million Thread signups in just 7 hours
“Threads just surpassed 2 million signups in the first two hours,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier. The app managed to cross more than 10 million downloads in just seven hours after launch, Zuckerberg updated on his Thread account.
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He also added in another answer that failed twitter the chance to become the first application of its type to cross more than a billion users.
“It will take time, but I think there should be a public chat app with over a billion people on it. Twitter had a chance to do that but didn’t make it. I hope we will,” he wrote in response. to another user.
Zuckerberg’s first tweet in 11 years and jibe to Elon Musk
Take to Twitter for the first time in 11 years after Threads launched, the billionaire CEO posted the iconic indelible meme of two Spidermen pointing at each other. Posted without any comments, the meme is often used to poke fun at two similar objects, things, situations, people, or maybe in this case, similar applications.
— Mark Zuckerberg (@finkd) July 6, 2023
Presumably the meme is Zuckerberg’s friendly nudge on Twitter and now the Thread app release.
Key Features of Instagram Feeds
Launched by Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc, Threads is an app that is tightly integrated with Instagram. It features a drop-down feed where users can share text, photos, and videos, with each post limited to 500 characters. This promotes meaningful text interactions and discussions on various topics.
READ ALSO | Mark Zuckerberg tweets after 10 years as Meta launches threads
The app allows users to start “Threads” on various topics, follow friends, creators and engage in public conversations, mimicking the functionality of Twitter. Users can keep their Instagram usernames, customize their bios, and link their profiles. Instagram verified users can also port their ticks to Threads.
A key benefit of Threads is its seamless integration with users’ existing Instagram followers and followlists. It also incorporates features like liking, commenting, reposting and sharing posts, closely aligning with Twitter functionality but with a user interface that resembles Instagram’s design.
Security and user controls, similar to Instagram, are in place on Threads. People under certain age limits are automatically assigned a private profile. The app also includes accessibility features like support for screen readers and AI-generated image descriptions.
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The app will also support ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This will allow users to connect with other apps on the platform like Mastodon and WordPress seamlessly.
How Threads differs from Twitter
While Twitter is known for its real-time news and trending topics, Threads emphasizes private messaging and close relationships. It provides an intimate interface compared to Twitter’s fast timeline.
While Threads allows users to control who can reply to their messages based on their preferences, Twitter, on the other hand, does not provide such customization features. This could potentially allow better control of thread interactions, reducing the chance of unwanted responses.
Another major difference is in data collection. While both platforms collect user data, Threads collects data from users’ phones, including location, purchases, and browsing history. This difference could potentially influence users’ choices based on privacy preferences.
