In the landscape of social media warfare, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) recently released its newest app, Threads, a direct competitor of Twitter. Threads garnered 30 million users within the first 18 hours after its launch. Leveraging its access to billions of Instagram users and a design similar to its Twitter, Threads has become the most rapidly downloaded app ever.
In an astonishing turn of events, relatively small accounts on Threads are seeing more engagement than their larger counterparts on Twitter. The overwhelming excitement and traction this new app is garnering is likely attributable to its launch taking place at a time when Twitter's popularity is declining.
Many users have expressed dissatisfaction with Twitter in recent times, criticizing the excessive amount of ads and bot accounts as well as the recent monetization of the infamous blue tick verification process. Twitter's approach to limiting the number of tweets one can view for free per day. With its launch of Threads, Meta is hoping to capitalise on this dissatisfaction.
Threads has a minimalist design focused on user experience. Unlike Twitter, Threads launched with no ads, promising not to consider monetization until it reaches a billion users. To limit bot activity, Threads requires users to have an Instagram account prior to registration, with verification carrying over directly from one platform to the other, helping maintain the platform's integrity. Users are also unrestricted in the number of posts they can view.
The secret behind Threads' instant buzz lies in this integration with Instagram. As soon as a user's Instagram follower signs up for Threads, they automatically follow the user's account on Threads, incentivizing creators to generate unique content for an instantly expanded follower base. The app's current features and seamless Instagram integration make Threads a refreshing alternative to Twitter. Another of the platform’s innovative features is its ranking system based on how quickly a user registers, fueling a sense of competition and urgency.
In response to a post on Threads questioning whether the app could indeed overtake Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg stated, “It’ll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.”
This innovative app is not without its flaws however. Threads currently lacks some of the key features that make Twitter so effective, such as trending topics and a focus on real-world events. Being integrated with Instagram, Threads looks at the moment like an extension of its sister app with its focus shifted to art work and lifestyle content. The app is also not available in the European Union due to the Meta’s data collecting and sharing policies.
Meta has a history of creating successful platforms, but its track record with data handling is concerning. Users are required to agree to extensive data sharing when signing up for Threads, which even includes access to sensitive health data. Furthermore, once a user opens a Threads account, they cannot close it without also closing their Instagram account.
Threads can gather data about a user's health, finances, friends, search history, whereabouts, and other personal details from their online actions. The app can also send information to other companies about a user's sexual preference, religious and political views, race and heritage, body, and job status.
The privacy implications and obligatory data sharing that come with the use of Threads have raised questions, but the yet more pressing area of concern is the potential consolidation of Meta's control of the digital landscape. The mere prospect of Threads superseding Twitter not only boosts Meta's dominance but also puts the company in a position to create the most powerful monopoly in the history of the world.
To put this into perspective, if all key social media platforms were linked, it would mean every click would lead users to a Meta-owned platform. This would not only be a monopoly in the traditional sense – it would mean control of global digital communication and social interaction. Meta would be in control of the way we connect with each other.
The potential for such concentrated power is worrisome, especially considering Meta's past willingness to go to great lengths for profit. It is a critical reminder of the need for caution and scrutiny in how these platforms are regulated and controlled.
Twitter has recently threatened legal action against Meta. Threads, which is openly promoted by Mark Zuckerberg as a competitor to Twitter, is at the heart of this dispute, with Twitter alleging that the app infringes upon its intellectual property rights.
In a letter revealed by news outlet Semafor, a legal representative of Twitter, Alex Spiro, expressed the company's severe apprehension about Threads, accusing Meta of "systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and other intellectual property.” The statement asserts that Twitter is committed to stringently enforcing its intellectual property rights. Consequently, they demand that Meta immediately cease the utilization of any of Twitter's trade secrets or any similarly sensitive information.
While Threads' present iteration appears to outpace Twitter in several key areas, provoking users to engage more actively, its future is shrouded in uncertainty. Beyond the legal disputes and an ever-evolving social media terrain, Meta's past conduct concerning monetization and data usage looms large as a potential roadblock in Threads’ path forward. Though Meta's CEO currently pledges to prioritize user growth over profit-making, questions remain: Will Threads maintain its user-focused strategy or surrender to the same pressures that cast a shadow over its forerunner? More importantly, if Threads indeed manages to usurp Twitter, will it mean Meta cementing its position as the most formidable digital monopoly in history?
