Social media rivalry is intensifying as Facebook’s parent company Meta is set to release a new app called Threads, which imitates Twitter, giving direct competition to the Elon Musk owned platform.
Threads is scheduled for a Thursday launch in selected territories. The app, which is linked to Instagram appeared on Apple’s App Store showing Thursday as its its release day, and billed as a “text-based conversation app.”
Longstanding rivalry
The Threads app, unlike Instagram will have text-based posts, which can be shared, liked and commented on much like Twitter. Its release marks the latest in a rivalry between Meta’s boss Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk who last month agreed to a physical cage fight.
Now, Threads poses a major threat to Twitter since it will inherit users from the much popular Instagram that already has over two billion active users. Threads users who already have Instagram, will be able to keep their usernames and follow other users from Instagram on Threads.
According to the screenshots from Apple App Store, Threads’ user interface resembles that of Instagram. Meta chief product officer Chris Cox, gave a sneak peak to the app last month citing how users won’t have to struggle with registration and creating new accounts, rather just inherit authentication credentials from Instagram accounts.
Probably the only social media application that could rival Twitter, Threads is said to have a character limit of 500 per post, which is more than that of Twitter. It however seems to be similar to Twitter in many ways.
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Exodus from Twitter to Threads
Set to be launched on Thursday but available for pre-order on the App Store, Threads might take the fight to Twitter, whose users are currently disgruntled and considering another platform. Twitter recently announced that TweetDeck will soon only be available to paying customers, a move that might fuel customer exodus from Twitter to Threads.
“A lot of people are saying the same thing, why would anyone quit Twitter for a meta-owned app,” said Matt Navarra in a tweet.
“My answer, people do crazy things when they’re desperate and have no viable alternatives. Zuck tying Threads to Instagram is smart.”
According to Matt, Meta’s plan of tying up Threads with Instagram is not only a smart move but the timing is also perfect for luring customers from Twitter.
“Elon has handed Zuck a gift with his rate limiting BS and paywalling TweetDeck. My bags are being packed… but I’ll leave a spare set of clothes here in-case I don’t like the new place,” added Matt.
a lot of people are saying the same thing
why would anyone quit Twitter for a meta-owned app
my answer
People do crazy things when they’re desperate and have no viable alternatives.
Zuck tying Threads to Instagram is smart
Most people view instagram far more positively than…
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) July 3, 2023
An alternative
The introduction of a new platform could be what others are looking for. Instagram’s Threads might be aiming to capitalize on the desperate and disgruntled Twitter users in need another platform.
“My thinking is as much as they’ve copied or borrowed, this is the actual time people need an alternative,” tweeted another user Jeff Higgins.
Others feel it is time Twitter got competition, which if anyone “can do it, it’s Zuckerberg.”
Musk has been making drastic changes to the platform ever since purchasing the platform for over $40 billion. A few days before, Musk posted that Twitter users will now have daily limits of the number of posts an account could read for both verified and unverified users.
To address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation, we’ve applied the following temporary limits:
– Verified accounts are limited to reading 6000 posts/day
– Unverified accounts to 600 posts/day
– New unverified accounts to 300/day— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2023
More competition for Twitter
Twitter users have been raging about how these changes are not good for the platform. Many disgruntled users have been toying with the idea of moving to Bluesky, another Twitter competitor, which is still in an invite-only beta phase. Bluesky is a text-based social media platform backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.
The emerging platform reportedly experienced high traffic over the weekend after Musk announced Twitter will temporarily limit posts users can read in a move to “to address extreme levels of data scraping & system manipulation.” As a result, users started flooding Bluesky.
But that’s not all, Twitter also has Mastodon to contend with. Despite the direct competition from Threads, Bluesky and other platforms, some Twitter users think these platforms serve different purposes to different customers altogether.
“It’ll probably be a ‘boom’ in the release but it won’t worth it because people are tired about Twitter but no other social media is like Twitter even if it has the same features,” tweeted Larissa Motta.
“Even Bluesky is not like Twitter and Elon knows that. This new Facebook (Threads) app won’t change it.”
and then