Threads, a text-based app created by Meta to rival Twitter, is out now.
The app, billed as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, was made available Wednesday night to users in more than 100 countries, including the US, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan. Despite some initial glitches, 30 million people had signed up by noon Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Threads.
Newcomers to the platform include celebrities like Oprah, pop star Shakira and chef Gordon Ramsay, as well as corporate accounts from Taco Bell, Netflix, Spotify, the Washington Post and other media outlets.
Threads, which Meta says provides “a new and separate space for real-time updates and public conversations,” comes at a time when many are looking to alternatives to Twitter to escape Elon Musk’s strident oversight of the platform since it was launched. acquired last year for $44 billion. But Meta’s new app has also raised data privacy concerns, and notably, it’s not available in the European Union.
This is what you need to know about threads.
HOW CAN I USE THREADS?
Threads is now available for download on the Android, Apple, and Google app stores to people in over 100 countries.
Threads was created by the Instagram team, so Instagram users can log in to Threads through their Instagram account. Your username and verification status will remain, depending on the platform, but you’ll also have options to customize other areas of your profile, including whether or not you want to follow the same people you follow on Instagram.
Because Threads and Instagram are so closely linked, it’s also important to be careful about account deletion. According to Threads’ supplemental privacy policy, you can deactivate your profile at any time, “but your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.”
CAN I USE THREADS IF I DO NOT HAVE AN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT?
For now, only Instagram users can create Threads accounts. If you want to access Threads, you’ll first need to sign up for Instagram.
HOW IS THREADS SIMILAR TO TWITTER?
Threads’ microblogging experience is very similar to Twitter’s. Users can repost, reply to, or quote a Thread, for example, and can see the number of likes and replies a post has received. “Threads” can be up to 500 characters, compared to Twitter’s 280-character threshold, and can include links, photos and videos up to five minutes in length.
In early responses to Threads, Zuckerberg said that making the app “a friendly place” will be the key to success, adding that that was “one of the reasons why Twitter has never been as successful as I think it should be, and We want to do it differently.”
Musk has responded to several sarcastic takes on the release of Threads. He responded to a tweet suggesting that the Meta app was largely created using copy-paste, with a smiley emoji.
HAS THIS NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE?
The similarities of Meta’s new text-based app suggest the company is working to directly challenge Twitter. The tumultuous ownership has resulted in a series of unpopular changes that have put off users and advertisers, some of whom are seeking alternatives to Twitter.
Threads is the latest Twitter rival to emerge in this landscape after Bluesky, Mastodon and Spill.
HOW DOES THREADS MODERATE THE CONTENT?
According to Meta, Threads will use the same security measures in place on Instagram, including enforcing Instagram’s community guidelines and providing tools to control who can mention or reply to users.
Content warnings, in search queries ranging from conspiracy theory groups to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, also appear to be similar to Instagram.
WHAT ARE THE PRIVACY CONCERNS?
The threads could collect a wide range of personal information, including health, finances, contacts, browsing and search history, location data, purchases, and “sensitive information,” according to its data privacy disclosure on the App Store.
Threads is also not available in the European Union at this time, which has strict data privacy rules.
Meta has informed the Irish Data Privacy Commission, Meta’s main EU privacy regulator, that it has no plans yet to launch Threads in the 27-nation bloc, commission spokesman Graham Doyle said. The company said it is working to roll out the app in more countries, but noted regulatory uncertainty over its decision to postpone the launch in Europe.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THREADS?
Threads’ success is far from guaranteed. Industry watchers note Meta’s history of launching standalone apps that were later shut down. But some analysts see the new app as a big headache for Musk and Twitter.
“The euphoria around a new service and this initial explosion will probably subside. But clearly this alternative is here to stay and will prove to be a worthy rival given all of Twitter’s problems,” said technology analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight, noting that the combination of Twitter-style features with the look and feel of Instagram could drive users. commitment.
However, Threads is in its infancy and a lot depends on user feedback. Pescatore thinks the close link between Instagram and Threads might not resonate with everyone. The rollout of new features will also be key.
“The real test is not whether we can generate a lot of hype, but whether everyone finds enough value in the app to keep using it over time,” Instagram boss Adam Mosseri wrote Thursday in a Threads post. He also acknowledged, as many users already have, that “tons of the basics” are missing, including hashtags and direct messages between users. “Full disclosure, it will take time.”
