Meta launches a Twitter rival as the tech titans face off for fresh eyeballs
Musk vs. Zuck… Not talkin’ cage matches. Meta announced a new social app yesterday, dubbed Threads, and it’s already live in 100+ countries. ICYMI: Like Twitter, Threads lets users share real-time text updates as well as like, comment, and repost. Unlike Twitter, Threads didn't launch with a chronological-based feed, and there is no direct messaging. Meta’s hoping its 3B Facebook and 2B Instagram users will add the Twitter dupe to their quiver of apps. Sweetening the deal:
IG-friendly: Threads users can sign into the new app with their Insta accounts and use the same handle on both platforms.
A-list invites: Meta recruited celebs including Gordon Ramsay and Shakira to start threading (aka: posting). The hope: big names will attract big download #s. And then there’s the competition…
Clipped wings… From site malfunctions to controversial content-moderation moves, Twitter’s problems have piled up since Elon Musk bought the biz for $44B last year. Musk recently tweeted that unverified tweeters would (at least temporarily) be limited to seeing 1K posts/day, while paying subscribers would get 10K views. Next month, Twitter said it would restrict TweetDeck — a popular tool for following numerous timelines — to subscribers. Now, it’s not just Meta trying to pick up Twitter’s dropped ball:
- New Nests: Bluesky, a decentralized social app, had to temporarily pause sign-ups last weekend after seeing record traffic. Rival Mastodon also reportedly saw a sign-up spike.
One app’s troubles can be another’s treasure… Meta wants to spin Twitter’s trials and tribulations into biz gold. Some are already calling Threads a “Twitter killer” given Meta’s massive reach. But success isn’t guaranteed. In February, Meta shut down its Cameo-esque app Super less than two years after launch, and in March it shuttered its live-shopping feature.