CALIFORNIA: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is preparing to launch its own alternative to Twitter with the introduction of a new app called Threads. The launch is expected to take place on Thursday, posing a significant challenge to Twitter and its management under Elon Musk.
Threads, described as a text-based platform similar to Twitter, will allow users to publish posts that can be interacted with through replies, likes, and shares. Notably, the app will be directly linked to Instagram, Meta’s popular photo-sharing platform, enabling users to seamlessly transfer their username and followers to the new app. According to the App Store description, Threads aims to bring communities together for discussions on a wide range of topics.
The exact details of the rollout and whether Threads will be available on Android remain uncertain at this time.
Concerns Over Elon Musk’s Management of Twitter
Meta’s decision to launch Threads comes as many users have sought alternative platforms in response to concerns about Musk’s management of Twitter. Users and advertisers have expressed dissatisfaction with his more lenient approach to content moderation and disruptive changes made to the platform.
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Musk recently faced criticism for implementing temporary limits on the number of posts users can view, citing the need to address data scraping and system manipulation. Twitter’s newly appointed CEO, Linda Yaccarino, also faced criticism for not publicly addressing the matter.
Twitter has experienced multiple outages as Musk implemented staff cuts and cost reductions in an effort to improve the company’s financial performance.
Despite other platforms such as Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky, Donald Trump’s Truth Social, and Mastodon attempting to attract disenchanted Twitter users, they have failed to gain significant traction.
Meta has a history of cloning features from competitors to protect its market share, such as creating its own version of vertical disappearing video clips popularized by Snapchat. The company has recently been promoting its short-video format called Reels, similar to ByteDance-owned TikTok.
This Twitter-like app from Meta, backed by its considerable resources, comes after Musk publicly expressed a willingness to engage in a “cage match” with Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who has rebranded himself as a practitioner of jiu-jitsu. While there is uncertainty surrounding the occurrence and timing of such a match, Zuckerberg responded, indicating his willingness to face Musk in the ring.
