Meta’s app interface resembles Twitter, prompting users to switch to BlueSky and Mastodon due to tweet viewing limitations
As Elon Musk’s platform users flock to alternatives, Meta’s response to Twitter, an app called Threads, is set to launch on Thursday. The Threads app, connected to Instagram, made an early appearance in the Apple app store on Tuesday, and Meta has created a countdown website for the release.
Threads, a forthcoming “text-based conversation” app, offers a platform where communities gather to engage in diverse discussions, encompassing current interests and upcoming trends. The promotional content highlights the opportunity to follow and connect with favorite creators and like-minded individuals, fostering the growth of a dedicated following to share ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world. Screen captures indicate that users can log in to Threads using their Instagram handle and follow their existing contacts. The app exhibits a user interface reminiscent of Twitter, featuring familiar functionalities such as reposting, liking, and the ability to control post replies.
Threads, an app slated to rival Twitter, shares its name with an earlier app released by Meta in 2019, aimed at competing with Snapchat. Despite the discontinuation of the original product, Meta has decided to retain the Threads branding.
When asked about the upcoming launch, a spokesperson for Meta declined to provide any comment.
Meta will be entering a competitive landscape, alongside platforms like BlueSky and Mastodon, as they strive to fill the void left by Twitter since Elon Musk assumed control in late 2022, resulting in increased difficulties for its approximately 250 million users to access the platform.
In a recent development, Twitter implemented a new policy that mandates users to log in to access the site. This change meant that individuals without Twitter profiles were no longer able to view tweets. Furthermore, a subsequent restriction was placed on the majority of users who do not have paid subscriptions, limiting unverified accounts to viewing 600 tweets per day, which was later increased to 1,000.
In an announcement made on Tuesday, the company revealed that access to its list-based product, Tweetdeck, primarily utilized by businesses and news organizations, would be restricted to Twitter Blue subscribers.
Elon Musk’s moderation choices, such as the reinstatement of far-right accounts, coupled with the growing instability of the platform, have deterred advertisers. As a result, advertising spending has been either paused or reduced in recent months.
Due to the implementation of the rate limit change, BlueSky temporarily halted new sign-ups, which are currently available by invitation only, in order to manage the overwhelming demand.
Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter who is currently involved in the development of BlueSky, shared a screenshot of the privacy information for the Threads app in a tweet. The caption accompanying the screenshot read, “All your Threads are belong to us.”
The Threads app has the capability to gather various types of data, including health-related information, financial details, contact information, browsing history, location data, and purchase records, among other things.
In comparison, BlueSky may link contact information, user-generated content, and identifiers. Twitter states that it has the ability to track users through their purchases, contact information, location, contacts, and browsing history.
It is worth noting that Twitter no longer maintains a press department. Any inquiries directed to the former email address receive an auto-response in the form of a poop emoji.
