Meta’s new platform ‘Threads’ is here to replace Twitter

Meta has challenged Twitter with a brand new app called Threads – aptly launching this Thursday just as users are departing in the masses from the Elon Musk-owned platform. Threads have given a preview on the Apple store, calling it a “text-based conversation” app “where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow”. Sound familiar?

The current available information in the promotional text suggests that the new platform links to your Instagram, allowing you to “connect directly with your favourite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world.” This means all your current followers and contacts can be easily transferred over, with the same tools of reposting, liking, and limiting replies also reappearing. 

The main signifier of Meta’s direct rivalry is the name Threads because Twitter replies are named “threads” themselves. It was originally the name of a 2019 app that Meta launched to compete with Snapchat – marketed mainly to a younger audience – but was later scrapped. Clearly, they kept the branding. 

Aside from Meta’s new launch, there are a slew of apps launching to directly compete with Twitter following its dramatic fall, including BlueSky and Mastodon. Since Musk took over last year, the site became more difficult to navigate, and last week users had to log in to view the site, as opposed to everyone having access like before. He then lifted the ban on far-right accounts and another wall was put in place for those who do not pay for the platform, suddenly stripping accounts of their viewing abilities. Unverified accounts were only able to see 600 tweets a day – later increasing to 1000. 

The catch with Threads, however, is significantly deterring a majority from switching as of now. The element of privacy agreements is proving a huge barrier, as the new platform will be able to collect data related to your health, finance, contact information, browsing history, location, and purchases. For now, Meta has launched a countdown website ahead of the release on Thursday.