Welcome to Threads: Meta Launches Social Media App to Take On Twitter

Meta has launched its new social media network Threads, in a bid to take on Twitter under billionaire owner Elon Musk. British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, actor Jack Black and pop star Shakira were among the first celebrities to join the site, while Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg welcomed users to the app on Wednesday. Threads is a text-based version of Instagram for “real-time updates and public conversations” and is initially available in more than 100 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Accessing the app requires an existing Instagram account.

Meta chief product officer Chris Cox last month told a company event that there was a demand for a “platform that is sanely run”, according to The Verge. The launch of Threads is seen as a direct challenge to Musk, whose stewardship of Twitter has been heavily criticised by some users and is likely to fuel the rivalry between the billionaire tech leaders. After months of turmoil at the social media company – including mass layoffs, technical glitches and controversy over moderation – advertisers have begun to flee the platform, prompting Meta to launch their own social media network.

Threads has been billed as a community-focused app, and while it will not initially be offered in the European Union, it could benefit from the popular photo-sharing app’s large user base and ties to advertisers. Users will be able to post messages, stories and photos, as well as create polls, join conversations and interact with content from other users. “I think the world needs this kind of friendly community,” Zuckerberg said in a separate post on Instagram after the app went live. “And I’m grateful to all of you who are part of Threads from day one.” It remains to be seen whether the app will be a success, but with the backing of Zuckerberg and Meta, Threads could be the new social media platform to rival Twitter.