Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram lunched yet another Instagram app called “Thread” on Thursday, June 6.
Threads, touted as a serious rival to the Twitter, has potential pose a serious threat to the platform, which has faced backlash since Elon Musk assumed control in October 2022, and has run it with a fly-by-night strategy.
The Thread app had 70 million signups on Friday morning, less than a day after its release, which Zuckerberg said was beyond their expectations.
Zuckerberg said in a Threads post “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 do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.
The significance of its lunch was covered by major media outlets, and a lot of high profile celebs, politicians, sports stars are already signing up to the Threads app, Politico writes.
The goal isn’t to replace Twitter. The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter.
Politics and hard news are inevitably going to show up on Threads – they have on Instagram as well to some extent – but we’re not going to do anything to encourage those verticals.
– Instagram chief Adam Mosseri in a Threads post
In the Threads conversation, Mosseri clarified “The goal isn’t to replace Twitter. The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter. Politics and hard news are inevitably going to show up on Threads – they have on Instagram as well to some extent – but we’re not going to do anything to encourage those verticals.”
According to Mosseri, its Threads logo is inspired by the @ sign, and was designed by @rourkery, @jezburrows, and others. “It’s a single unbroken line, inspired by the loop seen in the app when a thread is started”.
Related resources
- Why Instagram is taking on Twitter with Threads | The Verge
- Zuckerberg uses Threads to say Twitter has missed its chance | The Guardian
- What is Threads? Here’s what you need to know about the potential ‘Twitter Killer’ | CNN Business
- Meta officially launches Twitter rival Threads. 10 million have joined already | CNN Business
- Meta takes aim at Twitter with the launch of rival app Threads | Politico
- Threads: Ten million join Meta’s Twitter rival, Zuckerberg says | BBC News
- Meta’s pull with Threads may be Twitter’s unraveling | Politico
- Meta’s Threads upends social media in less than 48 hours | CNN Business