The seemingly eternal battle between two of the biggest tech CEOs in the world took on a new twist in July 2023 when Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of a direct competitor to his arch-enemy’s most prolific social media acquisition yet. Today, Twitter has a direct competitor in the new Threads app, with millions flocking to join the platform mere hours after it went live. The new app’s release has been met with much controversy from Twitter HQ and Twitter’s equally controversial users. Nevertheless, one cannot shake off the feeling that, for once, Twitter has a solid competitor it must take seriously.
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The Buildup
The release of the Threads app is not an event that can be viewed in isolation. One must go back a few months to understand the full context and how it came to be. To understand the Threads story, one must begin from the point where Elon Musk took over ownership of Twitter for the mammoth sum of $44 billion. Elon Musk himself, a divergent fellow who had drawn the attention of media observers and the past for his unique brand of quips, had plans for the platform.
Some of his first acts as the new Twitter chief involved restating the accounts of formerly banned individuals, the most notable of whom was the highly divisive 45th President of the USA, Donald Trump. Elon Musk’s unorthodox, hands-on leadership style earned him the criticism of many on the platform, as it became clear that he would be doing things quite differently.
From doing away with remote work and opening the door for unsatisfied employees to leave, Elon Musk set the stage for a new Twitter, one subsequently set about revolutionising, citing the need to monetise the platform similar to what Meta was doing with Facebook and Instagram. In his opinion, Twitter had more potential than the other platforms and could do better.
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Twitter vs. Threads
No sooner had Threads gone live than the conflict between Elon Musk and his Meta counterpart took on a new turn. Twitter had recently experimented with a new protocol that limited unverified subscribers to viewing only a few hundred posts each day, a move that was met with much backlash by users. Thus, one could infer that Threads launched at an opportune moment and was hardly random. Disillusioned Twitter users flocked to the new app and were happy to sign up for a new Twitter-like platform without Musk’s stringent rules.
However, the similarities between both apps would form a major point of discontent for Musk, who quickly pointed out that “Competition is fine, cheating is not”. He also subsequently claimed that the reason behind the striking similarities between the interface and functionality of both apps was that Meta had poached several ex-Twitter employees, many of whom still had access to insider knowledge of Twitter’s modus operandi. While the launch of the new app will undoubtedly take the Musk-Zuckerberg rivalry to new levels, one thing is certain — the Threads app is here, and everyone is currently sitting up to take notice.
Threads: Breaking Ground
Such is the impact of the new Threads app that it has broken the record time taken for any major app to hit the one million user mark. Compared to other apps, Threads is growing at an unprecedented rate. For instance, Netflix took almost four years to hit the same user base landmark, while Twitter took two years to achieve the same. While a bigger instant hit, Instagram still took two months and five days to accomplish the feat. With Threads, user signups totalled 10 million within a mere 7 hours of launch. In less than 24 hours, Meta CEO announced that Threads had hit 30 million signups.
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Conclusion
It could be argued that much of Threads’ groundbreaking success was possible due to Elon Musk’s controversial handling of Twitter. Mark Zuckerberg saw an opening and ruthlessly took advantage like any savvy businessman. Unlike a few of Twitter’s other direct competitors, such as Bluesky Social, Threads has the technology infrastructure to back it up, aiming to challenge Twitter’s place in the social media pantheon. However, it cannot be ignored that Threads is an obvious rip-off of Twitter, as the similarities are glaring. Time will tell just how sustainable the new platform will be.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Threads?
Threads is the new social media platform launched by Meta to rival Twitter. It has many of Twitter’s original features, allowing users to create and publish posts, follow trends, and interact with one another.
Is Threads Better Than Twitter?
While there is no clear winner at the moment, it should be noted that Threads is heavily based on Twitter and has most of its features, minus the restrictions. While Twitter presently has far more users, superiority will be determined by Threads’s innovation extent and its ability to sway new users based on its own unique functions and features.
What Is the Relationship Between Threads and Instagram?
The new Threads app is integrated with Instagram, as Meta owns both apps. Users can log in to Threads via Instagram and carry their Instagram usernames into the new platform.