Introducing Threads: Meta’s Answer to Twitter—All Your Questions Answered

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Threads, an app developed by Meta to compete with Twitter, is now live.

This text-based application, often described as the text version of Meta’s photo-sharing platform Instagram, became available on Wednesday night to users in over 100 countries, including the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, and Japan. Despite some initial glitches, Threads managed to attract 30 million users before noon on Thursday, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The platform has already seen the arrival of notable personalities like Oprah, pop star Shakira, chef Gordon Ramsay, and corporate accounts from Taco Bell, Netflix, Spotify, the Washington Post, and various media outlets.

Other notable news:

• The Amsterdam court approves a plan to reduce flights at the busy Schiphol Airport.
• Countries have agreed to reduce shipping emissions, but the measures are deemed insufficient to stay within warming limits.
• President Biden launches a new initiative to limit healthcare costs, aiming to demonstrate his ability to save money for families.
• Janet Yellen appeals to China to resume talks and avoid letting technology tensions disrupt their relationship.

Threads, according to Meta, offers “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.” It arrives at a time when many users are seeking alternatives to Twitter, as they aim to escape Elon Musk’s rather tumultuous oversight since his acquisition of the platform for $44 billion last year. However, Meta’s new app has raised concerns regarding data privacy and notably remains unavailable in the European Union.

Here’s what you need to know about Threads:

How can I use Threads?

Threads is now available for download on Apple and Google Android app stores in over 100 countries.

Since Threads was developed by the Instagram team, Instagram users can log into Threads using their Instagram accounts. According to the platform, your username and verification status will carry over, but you will also have the option to customize other aspects of your profile, such as choosing whether to follow the same people you do on Instagram.

It is important to be cautious when it comes to account deletion since Threads’ supplemental privacy policy states that you can deactivate your profile at any time, but deleting your Instagram account is required to delete your Threads profile.

Can I use Threads if I don’t have an Instagram account?

Currently, only Instagram users can create Threads accounts. If you want to access Threads, you will need to sign up for Instagram first.

While this may receive some criticism, Mike Proulx, VP and Research Director at Forrester, believes that making Threads an extension of Instagram was a smart move on Meta’s part. This integration has piqued user curiosity, with Instagram users receiving alerts about their followers joining Threads, thus driving more sign-ups. Threads managed to attract over 10 million users within a seven-hour period after its launch. However, sustaining momentum and capturing long-term user attention will be crucial for Threads’ future success.

How is Threads similar to Twitter?

Threads offers a microblogging experience similar to Twitter. Users can repost, reply to, or quote threads. They can also view the number of likes and replies a post receives. Threads allow up to 500 characters compared to Twitter’s 280-character limit, and users can include links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long.

In early replies on Threads, Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of creating “a friendly place” and differentiating it from Twitter, citing the reasons why Twitter failed to achieve its full potential.

Is Twitter pursuing legal action against Meta?

According to a letter obtained by Semafor on Thursday, Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta over Threads. In the letter, Alex Spiro, an attorney representing Twitter, accused Meta of unlawfully using Twitter’s trade secrets and intellectual property by hiring former Twitter employees to create a “copycat” app.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone responded to the report, stating that no member of the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee.

While Elon Musk has not directly addressed the possibility of legal action, he has responded to some snarky comments about the Threads launch. In response to a tweet suggesting that Meta’s app was primarily built using the copy and paste function, Musk replied with a laughing emoji.

Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino has not publicly commented on the letter but indirectly referred to the Threads launch in a tweet, emphasizing that “the Twitter community can never be duplicated.”

Hasn’t this been done before?

The similarities between Meta’s new text-based app and Twitter indicate that the company is directly challenging Twitter’s dominance. The ownership changes and unpopular decisions that have alienated users and advertisers have led to an increased demand for Twitter alternatives.

Threads is the latest Twitter rival to emerge, following Bluesky, Mastodon, and Spill.

How does Threads moderate content?

According to Meta, Threads will implement the same safety measures used on Instagram, including enforcing community guidelines and providing tools to control who can mention or reply to users. Content warnings, similar to those on Instagram, also exist for various search queries, ranging from conspiracy theory groups to misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations.

What are the privacy concerns?

Threads has the potential to collect various personal information, as stated in its data privacy disclosure on the App Store. This information includes health data, financial information, contact details, browsing and search history, location data, purchases, and “sensitive info.”

Threads is currently not available in the European Union due to the region’s strict data privacy rules. Meta has informed Ireland’s Data Privacy Commission, its main privacy regulator for the EU, that there are no immediate plans to launch Threads in the 27-nation bloc. The company cited regulatory uncertainty as the reason for delaying a European launch.

What does the future hold for Threads?

Success for Threads is not guaranteed, given Meta’s history of launching standalone apps that were eventually shut down. For example, there was an Instagram messaging app also called “Threads” that closed less than two years after its launch in 2019.

However, industry observers believe that the new app could pose a significant challenge to Musk and Twitter. Paolo Pescatore, a technology analyst at PP Foresight, suggests that combining Twitter-style features with Instagram’s aesthetics could drive user engagement.

Threads is still in its early stages, and much depends on user feedback. Pescatore points out that the close integration between Instagram and Threads may not appeal to everyone, and the introduction of new features will be crucial.

In a Threads post, Instagram head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the missing features, such as hashtags and direct messaging between users, and emphasized that user feedback and value perception would determine the app’s long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Twitter alternative

More about Twitter alternative

• Threads – Meta’s new app
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Bluesky
• Mastodon
• Spill
• Meta
• Data Privacy in the European Union
• Instagram’s Community Guidelines
• Threads Data Privacy Disclosure on the App Store
• Twitter’s Trade Secrets and Intellectual Property
• Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino’s Twitter Account
• AP News on Threads (Example link, not an actual link)