Summary
Last week, Meta announced the release of a new app, Threads. Billed as a “Twitter killer,” Threads got out to a hot start thanks to its connection with Instagram. However, whether or not it can actually challenge Twitter remains to be seen.
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If you pay attention to the news surrounding social media, you’ve probably seen updates regarding a new social media app, Threads. Produced by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Threads is intended to provide a Twitter-like experience. Here’s the scoop on the latest product from Zuckerberg’s company.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
Around noon on Friday, the third day that Threads was available to the public, Mark Zuckerberg posted that over 70 million people had signed up. Meta built Threads to be a place where users can have real-time conversations. Although photos and videos are allowed, many posts are just text.
Like Twitter, Threads allows users to reply, repost, or quote other users. Instagram users can also post stories to their Threads profile.
Some people have hailed Threads as a “Twitter killer.” Unlike other recent competitors, the size of Meta’s user base gives it the most viable path to success. Instagram’s user base is around eight times the size of Twitter, and sign-up is easy if you already have an Instagram account.
Whether or not that success can steal business away from Twitter remains to be seen. Twitter’s primary owner, Elon Musk, has also threatened legal action over the similarities between the two apps.
However, if you’re considering trying out Threads, users have pointed out one significant issue. While you can deactivate your Threads account without affecting Instagram, you cannot ask Meta to delete your data from Threads without also deleting your information from Instagram.