On July 5^th, Meta, the company in charge of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, launched a brand-new social media app known as Threads. Threads was originally launched in 2019 with a slightly different format, allowing users to send messages and video call one another. It was later discontinued in 2021 and re-released just a few days ago. It took current Instagram users by storm as everyone rushed to this new platform. Since it is closely integrated with the pre-existing Instagram, people are able to use the same username and account for Threads without having to make a new one. However, any followers you have on Instagram will have to be added again once you join Threads as this is something that does not carry over.

What makes Threads different to Instagram?

Rather than focussing on posting photos and videos, Threads has a similar concept to Twitter where users communicate through various chains of text messages rather than simply commenting on a post. It also doesn’t share the same stories function as Instagram does, nor do users have the ability to privately message one another. Threads has managed to sign up a whopping 100 million users in the space of five days. This is still, however, a long way off from Twitter’s 350 million user count. Despite this, Twitter took four years to earn the same number of users which Threads earned in the space of five days due to its clever link to Instagram.

Why are Twitter threatening to sue Threads?

A few days after the release of Zuckerberg’s new social media platform, Twitter owner, Elon Musk, threatened Meta with legal action due to the likeness of the new app with its rival, Twitter. Twitter claims that the new platform is a “copycat” and Elon Musk said, “competition is fine, cheating is not”. Twitter’s attorney, Alex Spiro, also claims that Meta used ex-Twitter employees in order to help create Threads. However, Threads lack some of the features which have made Twitter stand out such as editing messages, trending stories, hashtags, and the slightly controversial case of having to pay a fee for a verification badge. The future of both social media platforms and how they will affect each other remains unclear. One interesting thing to note here is that Mark Zuckerberg posted on Twitter for the first time in over a decade, a cartoon image of two spiderman characters pointing at one another to show how Threads is a direct rival to Twitter. Many influencers, after migrating to Threads, have decided to put an end to their Twitter accounts perhaps due to this new platform being a lot less toxic.