In a stunning turn of events, Threads, Instagram’s real-time, public conversation app, has taken the social media world by storm. Within hours of its launch, the app garnered an astonishing number of downloads, surpassing even the record set by ChatGPT, the popular chatbot created by OpenAI. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp, proudly announced that Threads had already been downloaded by over 10 million people within a single day. This meteoric rise positions Threads as a formidable rival to Twitter, the longstanding hub of online public discourse.
A Sinking Ship
The immediate success of Threads was bolstered by the enthusiastic participation of Twitter’s most prominent personalities, including Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Gates, Shakira, and Oprah Winfrey. As these influential figures flocked to the app, users joined in the excitement, expressing warm welcomes and eagerness to engage with one another’s posts. The overwhelming influx of users briefly overwhelmed Threads, underscoring the public’s eagerness to find an alternative to Twitter.
The launch of Threads marks a significant moment for Meta, a company that has faced scrutiny for its handling of misinformation and toxic content. While Meta has been criticized in recent years for its data practices and products, Threads represents a welcome reprieve. Within Meta’s offices, employees celebrated the launch, finding solace in the app’s success after a challenging year of layoffs and restructuring.
The development of Threads was shrouded in secrecy, known only by its internal codename “Project 92.” The project emerged from Instagram, demonstrating the company’s resolve to challenge Twitter head-on. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, highlighted the app’s aim to foster a friendly and open environment for public conversation. To cultivate this culture, Meta granted early access to celebrities, brands, and influencers, kick-starting engaging discussions and lighthearted interactions.
No Guarantee
However, the initial hype surrounding Threads does not guarantee long-term engagement and triumph. Twitter still maintains a significant lead with over 237 million daily users. Additionally, Meta continues to face scrutiny over data privacy concerns. Some Threads users have expressed dissatisfaction with the app’s requirement to delete their connected Instagram account in order to deactivate their Threads account. Instagram has acknowledged this issue and is actively exploring alternative solutions.
In an effort to curate a “friendly” app, Threads incorporates content moderation. Certain posts are obscured by warning boxes indicating that independent fact-checkers have reviewed the content and deemed it misleading. Users can choose to reveal the hidden content by clicking a button within the warning box. Furthermore, some comments are entirely hidden from view. Meta’s approach to moderation has drawn both support and criticism, with right-wing influencer Tomi Lahren questioning if conservative thought would be censored on the platform.
As Threads surges forward, surpassing initial expectations and redefining the landscape of social media, its ultimate impact remains to be seen. Will it be able to dethrone Twitter and establish itself as the new digital town square? The journey ahead for Threads and Meta will undoubtedly be filled with challenges and competition, but for now, the app’s triumphant entrance has marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in social media history.