In the early morning hours, Meta Platforms, the company that owns social networks Facebook and Instagram, launched its new text-based platform, Threads. The platform aims to compete with Twitter, and its launch was reported by the news agency AFP. According to The Guardian, Threads is available in approximately 100 countries but not in the European Union due to concerns about the use of personal data.
Threads were welcomed by users on the new platform, with Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta, garnering thousands of likes within minutes of his first post. The media has noted that Threads is similar to Twitter in appearance and functionality, but it allows users to write longer messages. The maximum length of a message on Threads can be 500 characters, compared to 280 characters for most Twitter users. Videos posted on the platform can be up to five minutes long.
According to The Wall Street Journal, users can log in to Threads via Instagram, a strategic move that could help the app gain popularity quickly. Instagram has over two billion monthly active users, compared to Twitter’s approximately 364 million. If even a fraction of Instagram users started using Threads, which can be translated into English as “Vlákna,” the new platform could quickly grow.
Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year, many platform users have desired an alternative. For example, the German government said on Monday that it is considering switching to other communication channels due to changes on Twitter. The Wall Street Journal also noted this week that Twitter has faced technical problems, lost some advertisers, and faced criticism for inadequately moderating content. However, according to the WSJ, none of the startups, such as Mastodon, Truth Social, or Bluesky, have yet emerged as a real competitor to Twitter.
How Threads will fare in the highly competitive social media landscape remains to be seen. Still, its launch indicates that Meta Platforms is serious about expanding its reach beyond Facebook and Instagram. With its similar appearance and longer message format, Threads could be a viable alternative for many users seeking a change from Twitter. Only time will tell if Threads can compete with Twitter and other social networks in popularity and user engagement.