Threads downloads and subscribers continue to grow as more Instagram users and social media users open accounts. Threads is now Twitter’s biggest competitor. Many new platforms have emerged in recent times but have not been able to replace the “bluebird”, a technology company that has been struggling since being acquired by Elon Musk.
On his personal Threads account, Zuckerberg said Threads reached 10 million sign-ups in 7 hours and 30 million sign-ups as of 10 p.m. on July 6 (Vietnam time). The app was available on iOS and Android markets in more than 100 countries from 6 a.m. the same day.
Stars like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Hugh Jackman, as well as newspapers like The Washington Post, The Economist, CBS News have joined Meta's Threads. Zuckerberg himself spent his first few hours on the platform responding to user comments.
He also took a jab at his rival Musk on Twitter. The Facebook CEO's first tweet in 10 years was a meme of two identical Spider-Men, showing the similarities between Twitter and Threads.
Returning to Threads, he wrote: “It will take time, but I think there should be a public chat app with over a billion users. Twitter had the opportunity to do this and didn’t take it. Hopefully we’ll be successful.”
Twitter currently has over 200 million daily users.
Before Threads launched, some called the app a “Twitter killer,” believing that Twitter users would migrate to Threads. Recent changes at Twitter under Elon Musk have upset many. Hate speech on the platform has also increased since late last year. Moderation staff has been reduced to a minimum, while Twitter has been experiencing frequent outages. Musk’s decisions have raised concerns among celebrities and advertisers.
Threads was introduced as an Instagram spinoff. Meta hopes to capitalize on Twitter's chaos and become a favorite communication channel for people, especially since many celebrities with large followings use Threads regularly.
Analyst Jasmine Engberg points out that Threads would need just a quarter of Instagram’s monthly users to be as big as Twitter. “Twitter users are hungry for an alternative platform, Musk has given Zuckerberg a problem,” she adds.
Meanwhile, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said Threads' goal is to create "an open and friendly platform for conversation. The best thing you can do to be that is be kind."
Despite its strong start, Threads has its concerns, not least of which is the European Union’s upcoming Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA imposes strict regulations on internet “gatekeepers” like Meta and Google. For example, it prohibits the transfer of personal data between products.
Globally, the Twitter hashtag Threads has attracted more than 1 million tweets. However, some have expressed concern that Meta, known for its data collection practices, may be exposing their identities and activities.
Threads is not currently available in the EU.
(According to CBS News)
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