Threads: 30 Million Join Meta’s Twitter Rival, Zuckerberg Says

Meta’s newly-launched Threads app attracted 30 million users 24 hours after it was launched, according to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, who described the app as a “friendly” competitor to Twitter, owned by Elon Musk since October; experts believe Threads could appeal to dissatisfied Twitter users due to recent changes on the platform.

“Wow, 30 million sign ups as of this morning. Feels like the beginning of something special, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead to build out the app,” Zuckerberg said via his Threads handle.

The Threads app allows users to post up to 500 characters and shares many features with Twitter; Zuckerberg stated that keeping the platform “friendly… will ultimately be the key to its success,” while Musk responded by saying, “It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram.”

When asked if Threads will be “bigger than Twitter,” Zuckerberg replied, “It’ll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully, we will.”

Competitors have raised concerns about the app’s data usage, including health, financial, and browsing data linked to users’ identities, as noted by the Apple App Store.

Threads is currently available in over 100 countries, including the UK, but not yet in the EU due to regulatory concerns.

Meta referred to Threads as an “initial version” and has plans to introduce additional features, such as the ability to interact with users on other social media platforms like Mastodon.

Users log in to Threads using their Instagram account, and their Instagram username carries over, with the option to customize their profile specifically for Threads. Users can choose to follow the same accounts they do on Instagram, and the app allows for private Instagram profiles and public Threads profiles.

The release of the Threads app follows criticism of Meta’s business practices, including whistleblower Frances Haugen’s allegations that the company prioritized profits over safety and mishandled content moderation. Meta also faced scrutiny for allowing third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, access to Facebook users’ personal data.

Threads has an advantage over other Twitter alternatives because of its connection to Instagram and the existing user base of the platform.

Threads allows users to share posts to Instagram and vice versa, including links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long. However, some early users reported issues with image uploads, suggesting initial glitches.

Users see a feed of posts called “threads” from people they follow, as well as recommended content. They can control who can mention them and filter out replies containing specific words. The app also allows unfollowing, blocking, restricting, or reporting other profiles, and blocking an account on Instagram automatically blocks it on Threads.

While Meta highlights the ties to Instagram, media coverage has focused on the app’s resemblance to Twitter, leading some investors to dub it a “Twitter killer.”

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter, recently limited the number of tweets users can see per day on the platform, promoting Twitter Blue, the subscription service. Twitter also announced that its user dashboard, TweetDeck, will become paid in 30 days.

Since Musk’s involvement with Twitter, many users have expressed dissatisfaction with the platform and his leadership, citing erratic behavior and political views. Last month, Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg jokingly agreed to a cage fight, and Zuckerberg’s early posts on Threads mentioned his interest in mixed martial arts.

While Threads is available in the UK, it has yet to launch in the EU due to regulatory uncertainties, particularly regarding the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which governs data sharing between platforms owned by large companies like Meta. Meta is exploring options to launch Threads in the EU, emphasizing its commitment to privacy protection.