Threads is a new application developed by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta introduced Threads, its own rival to Twitter, on Wednesday, just three months after announcing its intentions to develop the app. Threads is off to a promising start, with the company reporting 30 million sign-ups as of Thursday morning. The user base includes numerous brands, celebrities, journalists, and other influential accounts.
The app sets a character limit of 500 for messages, similar to Twitter. Users have the ability to reply to, repost, and quote posts from others. In addition, Threads incorporates elements of Instagram’s visual style and navigation system, allowing users to directly share posts to Instagram Stories. Thread accounts can be designated as either public or private. Verified Instagram accounts automatically receive verification on Threads as well.
According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Threads aims to create a welcoming and inclusive public space for conversation. In a Threads post following the launch, he stated, “Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.”
Most Early adopters of Threads are already speculating whether Threads could eventually supplant Twitter as the leading platform for online discourse. As of Thursday morning, Threads claimed the top spot as the most downloaded free app on Apple’s App Store and became a trending topic on its rival platform, Twitter.
Threads pose a significant threat to Twitter, especially considering the platform’s recent challenges since Elon Musk assumed control in October 2022, resulting in a more impromptu approach. Twitter’s vulnerability has become increasingly apparent in recent days, as users express frustration over temporary limits on daily content consumption. For Meta, Threads presents an opportunity to expand its collection of popular apps and establish a new platform for advertising.
Meta possesses a significant advantage over Twitter, primarily due to the vast size of its existing user base. The company aims to attract a portion of its more than 2 billion active Instagram users to the new app. In comparison, Twitter’s active user base stands at approximately 250 million.
How does it work? Threads provide a microblogging experience that strikingly resembles Twitter. Upon launching the app, users are presented with buttons to like, repost, reply to, or quote a “thread.” Counters indicate the number of likes and replies a post has received. With a character limit of 500, Threads offers more room for expression compared to Twitter’s 280-character restriction. Furthermore, users can include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long.
Using the app feels like a surreal amalgamation of Twitter and Instagram, resulting in a more user-friendly interface. The feed is sleek and easy to navigate. However, currently, it primarily features accounts that I have not yet followed or taken an interest in. This issue may resolve itself as more people join the platform.
Unlike Twitter, Threads does not rely on hashtags and lacks a search feature for specific texts or phrases. Additionally, users can share up to 10 photos in a single post, matching Instagram’s limit, whereas Twitter restricts users to four images.
Should We Approach “Threads” with caution?
Watchdog organisations have raised several concerns about Threads as the tech giant seeks to attract an even larger user base. According to the data privacy disclosure on the App Store, Threads has the potential to collect extensive personal information, including health, financial details, contact information, browsing and search history, location data, purchases, and “sensitive info.”
Due to these issues, the platform is currently unavailable in the European Union, which upholds strict data privacy regulations. Meta intends to expand the app’s availability to more countries but cites regulatory uncertainty as the reason for delaying a European launch.
To ensure user safety, Meta emphasises the implementation of measures on the new app, including enforcing Instagram’s community guidelines and providing tools for users to control who can mention or reply to their posts.