In a remarkable achievement, the social media app Threads has reportedly amassed an astonishing 100 million users within days of its launch. Leveraging the connection between Instagram and Threads accounts, the app seamlessly allows the existing 1.6 billion Instagram users to sign up and begin using Threads immediately. However, the app is currently unavailable in the European Union.
In response to the competition posed by Threads, Twitter has sent a letter to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, threatening legal action. The letter implies that Meta may have employed former Twitter employees who had access to trade secrets.
Twitter CEO Elon Musk publicly addressed the potential lawsuit on Twitter, emphasizing that healthy competition is acceptable, but cheating is not. Musk engaged in a playful exchange with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey about the rise of Twitter alternatives.
To access Threads, users can simply sign up using their Instagram username. During the signup process, users can fill out their public profile and follow the same individuals they do on Instagram. Within the Threads app, users can explore the latest posts on their home feed, discover new accounts to follow, and stay updated with notifications. User profiles on Threads feature dedicated tabs for Threads and Replies. Verified Instagram accounts retain their verification on Threads, and subscribing to Meta Verified on Instagram automatically verifies the Threads account.
Threads users have the ability to create posts with up to 500 characters of text, five minutes of video, and/or ten images. These posts can be shared as Instagram Stories, posted on the Instagram feed, Twitter, and other social networks to promote new accounts and attract followers. With its impressive user base of over 100 million, Threads attracts a diverse range of users, including celebrities, influencers, and brands. While other social platforms are present on Threads, there is currently no official Twitter account on the app, and the official Instagram account for Twitter does not display a Threads number badge.
Despite its rapid growth, the Threads app has raised privacy concerns among some users. Worries have been expressed regarding the app’s privacy disclaimers, which suggest that a substantial amount of user data will be linked to their identities. Regarding account deletion, Threads is intertwined with Instagram, allowing users to deactivate their Threads profile or delete both their Instagram and Threads accounts. However, at present, there is no specific option to delete the Threads profile alone. Interestingly, Instagram had previously released a different version of Threads in 2019, which was a camera-centric messaging app focused on sharing visual content and updates with a close circle of friends. Unfortunately, that iteration of Threads was discontinued in 2021.
