On July 6, Meta unveiled its latest innovation, the Threads app, developed by the Instagram team. This new platform allows users to share brief text updates and engage in public discussions. Its user interface and functionalities suggest that Threads aims to rival Twitter, the microblogging platform owned by Elon Musk that has been stirring up significant attention in the social media landscape. There has been extensive dialogue surrounding the similarities and differences between the two platforms, particularly regarding their policies, terms of use, and user restrictions.
Introducing Threads: Meta’s New Social Media Platform
Threads is designed for posting short text updates of up to 500 characters, with the option to include images and links. Users can also upload videos that last up to five minutes. Meta has indicated that users can log into Threads using their existing Instagram accounts, allowing for seamless sharing of Threads posts to Instagram stories or links on other social platforms.
The home feed of Threads will display posts from users’ Instagram and Threads accounts that they follow, alongside recommendations for new content, reminiscent of the Instagram experience. Furthermore, similar to Twitter, Threads users have the capability to filter specific words from their feeds and control who can mention them in posts and comments.
The app is available for free download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Within hours of its launch, Threads rapidly accumulated over 10 million sign-ins.
How Threads Operates
To create a Threads account, users must first have an Instagram account, which is utilized for logging in to the new platform. Once established, their Instagram username will transfer to Threads, but customization of the profile is encouraged.
Users can easily follow the same accounts they connect with on Instagram, avoiding the need to rebuild their network from scratch. When composing a post or “Thread,” users can determine who sees it, allowing for privacy options which include sharing only with followers or making it public to all Threads users.
As is common across social media platforms, users can unfollow, report, block, or limit access to their accounts. The tight integration between Instagram and Threads means that blocking an account on Instagram will automatically extend to Threads. Accessibility features are also included, enabling support for screen readers and AI-generated visual descriptions.
Meta aims to enhance Threads’ compatibility with other platforms utilizing the ActivityPub protocol, such as WordPress and Mastodon. The company has indicated that they are gradually working towards allowing users to engage with Threads independently of an Instagram account.
Executive Rivalry: A New Chapter
The launch of Threads arrives at a pivotal moment as Twitter navigates challenges related to advertisers, users, and its management under Elon Musk. While Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg may not engage directly with Musk, the ongoing rivalry between their respective tech empires continues to unfold. The built-in link to Instagram is expected to facilitate a robust user base for Threads in a shorter timeframe. Although Musk has expanded Twitter’s daily posting limits for different user categories, this move may risk further subscriber losses as advertisers reconsider their spending patterns in light of recent developments since Musk’s acquisition in November 2022.
