Meta Platforms plans to launch a Twitter-rivalling microblogging app known as Threads, days after Twitter boss Elon Musk attracted criticism by asserting a short lived cap on what number of posts customers can learn on the social media website.
Threads is anticipated to be launched on Thursday and can enable customers to retain followers from photo-sharing platform Instagram, and maintain the identical username, a list on Apple’s App Store confirmed.
The rollout represents a direct problem to Twitter, which has confronted quite a few controversies since Musk purchased the corporate for $44 billion in 2022.
Last week, the Tesla billionaire introduced a slate of latest restrictions on the app, limiting the variety of tweets customers may view per day, prompting outcry from many on the platform.
While various microblogging websites – resembling Mastodon and Blue Sky – have seen an uptick in person numbers since Musk’s acquisition, neither has been in a position to problem Twitter.
But Instagram already has lots of of thousands and thousands of registered customers and has a historical past of introducing new options based mostly on the success of different social media companies.
In 2016, it added a function known as “stories” to Instagram, or person posts that disappear after a hard and fast period of time, in response to the rising recognition of Snapchat.
More just lately, the corporate’s short-form video function “Reels” has sought to problem the rise of TikTok.
The launch of Threads represents a reputable risk to Twitter underneath Musk.
“Threads is going to pose a huge threat to Twitter because it’s coming from the Meta and Instagram family of apps,” mentioned Drew Benvie, CEO of social media consultancy Battenhall.
“Instagram has 2 billion users compared to around 250 million of Twitter, so it’s about ten times bigger already. If only one-in-ten Instagram users tries using Threads, it will overtake Twitter in the blink of an eye.”
After buying the corporate late final 12 months, Musk laid off round 80% of workers and reinstated quite a few banned accounts, resembling these of former US President Donald Trump and conservative satirical news website Babylon Bee.
Hundreds of advertisers, involved by a perceived rise in dangerous content material on the platform, paused spending with Twitter, and inside paperwork seen by Reuters confirmed the platform’s most lively customers turning into disengaged.
Meta didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for touch upon an identical launch on the Google Play Store. Reuters approached Twitter for remark. — Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
