'10 million' signups for Instagram Threads in first seven hours; will Meta beat Twitter in social media game?

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has unleashed its newest platform, Instagram's Threads app, in over 100 countries. This bold move to confront Twitter in the sphere of microblogging has sparked a new rivalry in the sphere of social media. The app is available across both Android OS and iOS devices. 

The release of the Threads app comes at a time when Twitter, under world’s richest man Elon Musk’s leadership, has found itself facing multiple problems in recent months. From rate limiting its own users to the points where unverified users can only browse the website for mere minutes before being locked out, to preventing anyone from viewing tweets if they are not logged in (and then silently rolling back this change), and more.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is looking to capitalise on the growing negativity towards Twitter over multiple issues, pulling in users to his own Threads app.

10 million signups for Thread in just 7 hours

“Threads just passed 2 million sign ups in the first two hours," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted earlier. The app managed to cross over 10 million downloads in just seven hours after its launch, Zuckerberg updated on his Thread account.

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He also added in another reply that Twitter missed the chance to become the first app of its kind to cross over a billion users.

"It'll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion plus people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will,” he wrote in reply to another user. 

Zuckerberg’s First Tweet in 11 Years and jibe at Elon Musk

Taking to Twitter for the first time in 11 years after the launch of Threads, the billionaire CEO posted the indelibly iconic meme of two Spidermen pointing at each other. Posted without any comments, the meme is often used to make fun of two similar objects, things, situations, people, or perhaps in this case, apps. 

pic.twitter.com/MbMxUWiQgp

— Mark Zuckerberg (@finkd) July 6, 2023

The meme can be assumed to be Zuckerberg’s friendly poke at Twitter and now the release of the Thread app. 

Key Features of Instagram Threads

Launched by Meta, formerly known as Facebook Inc, Threads is an app closely integrated with Instagram. It offers a scrollable feed where users can share text, photos, and videos, with each post limited to 500 characters. This fosters meaningful text-based interactions and discussions on various topics.

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The app allows users to start "Threads" on various topics, follow friends, creators, and engage in public conversations, emulating Twitter's features. Users can retain their Instagram usernames, customize their bios, and link their profiles. Verified Instagram users can also carry their checkmarks to Threads.

A key advantage of Threads is its seamless integration with users' existing Instagram followers and following lists. It also incorporates features such as liking, commenting, reposting, and post sharing, closely aligning with Twitter's functionalities but with a user interface that resembles Instagram's design.

Safety and user controls, similar to Instagram, are in place on Threads. Individuals under certain age limits are automatically assigned a private profile. The app also includes accessibility features such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.

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The app will also support ActivityPub, the open social networking protocol developed by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This will allow users to connect with other apps on the platform like Mastodon and WordPress seamlessly. 

How Threads Differs from Twitter

While Twitter is known for real-time news and trending topics, Threads emphasises private messaging and close connections. It provides an intimate interface as compared to Twitter's fast-paced timeline.

While Threads allows users to control who can reply to their posts based on their preferences, Twitter, in contrast, does not provide such personalization features. This could potentially allow for more control over interactions on Threads, reducing the chances of unwanted responses.

Another major difference lies in data collection. While both platforms collect user data, Threads is said to collect data from users' phones, including location, purchases, and browsing history. This difference could potentially influence user choices based on privacy preferences.