- By Chris Vallance and James Clayton
- Technology Reporter, BBC News
July 6, 2023
Updated 1 hour ago
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company’s newly launched Threads app aims to outperform Twitter.
Experts say threads could attract Twitter users unhappy with recent changes to the platform.
Threads – which is not currently rolling out in the European Union – allows users to post up to 500 characters and has many features similar to Twitter.
In a post, Mr. Zuckerberg said that ultimately, “keeping the platform friendly” will be key to their success.
But Twitter boss Elon Musk replied: “It’s infinitely better to be attacked by strangers on Twitter than to indulge in the false happiness of hiding the pain on Instagram.”
When asked on Threads if the app will be “bigger than Twitter,” Mr. Zuckerberg said, “It will take time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with more than a billion people.”
“Twitter had the opportunity but didn’t make it. Hopefully we can do that.”
Competitors criticize the amount of data the app could consume. According to the Apple App Store, this can include health, financial and browsing data linked to users’ identities.
Threads is now available for download in over 100 countries, including the UK, but not yet in the EU for regulatory reasons.
The app saw two million signups in the first two hours, Zuckerberg said.
‘First version’
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, described the new app as a “first release,” with additional features planned, including the ability to interact with people on other social media apps like Mastodon.
“Our vision with Threads is to extend what Instagram does best to text,” the company said ahead of its launch.
Although Threads is a standalone app, users log in with an Instagram account. Her Instagram username will be adopted, but there is an option to customize her profile specifically for Threads.
According to Meta, users can also choose to follow the same accounts as they do on Instagram. The app allows users to be private on Instagram but public on threads.
The release of the new app follows criticism of Meta’s business practices.
Last year, meta-whistleblower Frances Haugen said the company put “profits over safety” and criticized the platform’s moderation.
The company was also rocked by a scandal in which it gave third parties, including British political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, access to Facebook users’ personal data.
In an apparent nod to that controversial past, Mr Musk joked on Monday, “Thank god they’re being run so sensibly.”
There are several alternatives to Twitter, such as Bluesky and Mastodon, but these are struggling to gain traction.
Threads has a significant advantage as it is connected to Instagram and the hundreds of millions of users already on this platform.
Threads can share posts on Instagram and vice versa and can contain links, photos and videos up to five minutes long.
However, some early adopters reported problems uploading images on Wednesday, indicating teething problems.
Users see a feed of posts, which Meta calls “threads,” from people they follow, and recommended content.
You can control who can “mention” them and filter out replies to posts that contain specific words.
Unfollowing, blocking, restricting, or reporting other profiles is also possible, and all accounts that block users on Instagram are automatically blocked in threads.
While Meta emphasizes the connection to Instagram, media coverage has focused on the app’s similarity to Twitter, with some investors calling the app a “Twitter killer.”
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Posts can be shared between threads and Instagram and contain links, photos and videos
It was Mr Musk’s latest foray into getting users to subscribe to Twitter Blue, the platform’s subscription service.
Twitter has also announced that its popular user dashboard, TweetDeck, will disappear behind a paywall in 30 days.
Since Mr Musk took power, many Twitter users have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the platform and its leadership – citing erratic behavior and political views.
Last month, Mr Musk and meta boss Mark Zuckerberg agreed – possibly jokingly – on a cage fight, and Mr Zuckerberg’s initial posts on Threads mentioned his interest in mixed martial arts.
While Threads will be available in the UK, it is not yet available in the EU due to regulatory uncertainties, particularly related to the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
However, the company says it is considering launching it in the EU.
This law establishes rules for how large companies like Meta can share data between their own platforms. The data exchange between threads and Instagram is part of the problem.
Meta believes that protecting privacy is fundamental to its business.
Additional reporting by Max Matza and George Bowden