In a direct challenge to Twitter’s dominance, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, will launch its highly anticipated Instagram Threads on Thursday. As controversies and service issues plague Elon Musk’s Twitter platform, users have been searching for alternatives. The personal competition between dueling billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk intensifies with the impending release of Threads, as Meta lays down the challenge.
Threads launch amidst high expectations
Meta’s app, Threads, is expected to go live on Thursday, with a countdown on the company’s launch website indicating a 10 AM EST release time. The app is listed as “coming soon” on Apple’s App Store and is available for pre-order. Although it remains uncertain if Meta plans to stagger the rollout, screenshots, and descriptions, reveal Threads as a text-based conversation app featuring a dashboard reminiscent of Twitter’s interface, complete with options to like, share, post, and repost content.
Threads will be intrinsically linked to Meta’s popular photo-sharing platform, Instagram. Users will likely have the ability to maintain their existing usernames and effortlessly follow the same accounts they do on Instagram. As with Meta’s other applications, Threads is expected to adopt a free service model, utilizing personal data as a form of compensation. The App Store listing stipulates that users must be at least 12 years old to access Instagram Threads.
Most big social media platforms are controlled by private companies, which limits how much users can control and transfer their networks of friends to rival services. Threads will integrate with ActivityPub, a decentralized social media protocol created by the World Wide Web Consortium, an international organization that develops open standards for the Web. It remains to be seen how Threads will integrate with ActivityPub. Instagram, the platform Threads is affiliated with, does not run on such a service.
Uncertainties surrounding Threads launch
The launch of Threads on Android systems and its accessibility without the app remains uncertain. An unintentional listing for Threads reportedly appeared on the Google Play store, showcasing similar features, images, and descriptions. But, it was swiftly removed without indicating a release date, suggesting a possible error. Despite this ambiguity, Meta’s foray into rivaling Twitter is not surprising, given the company’s history of incorporating features from competitors, such as TikTok, Discord, and Snapchat, with varying levels of success.
Twitter, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has faced a barrage of controversies and service issues. The platform’s verification and content moderation policies have undergone drastic revisions, leading to user dissatisfaction. Musk’s decisions to reduce user visibility, cut company headcount, restrict platform data access, and frequent system outages have prompted many users to seek alternative social media platforms. Competitors like Bluesky, Mastodon, and Trump’s Truth Social have benefited from these developments but have not yet effectively challenged Twitter’s dominance. Threads’ entry could pose a severe threat to Twitter’s hegemony because of Meta’s substantial resources and existing social networks.
Meta’s launch of Instagram Threads on Thursday marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle between the social media giants. As users increasingly seek alternatives to the controversies and service issues surrounding Elon Musk’s Twitter platform, Meta aims to capture their attention with a rival app. With features reminiscent of Twitter and its integration with the popular Instagram platform, Threads has the potential to challenge Twitter’s dominance in the social media landscape. As the rivalry between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk intensifies, the competition between Meta and Twitter is poised to reach new heights in the coming months.
