Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has introduced Threads, a new app designed to rival Twitter. The app is now open for pre-order on mobile app stores for both iPhone and Android operating systems, starting from Monday.
Soon to be available, Threads is labeled as an Instagram app. According to Apple’s app store, it is described as ‘Instagram’s text-based conversation app,’ suggesting a new avenue for engaging in text-based discussions.
The store description reads: ‘Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,’
Threads’ introduction comes in the wake of a tumultuous period at Twitter since Elon Musk assumed ownership in October. With a series of restructuring initiatives, including widespread layoffs and the adoption of a subscription-based payment model for selected features, the company underwent significant changes under his leadership.
Announced in mid-March by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, the development of a new social network was described in a way that positions it as a potential competitor to Twitter. The network aims to offer users a platform for social interaction, similar to what Twitter provides.
Threads will enable users to ‘connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world,’ the app store description indicates.
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‘We’re thinking about a decentralized, independent social network for sharing written messages in real-time,’ the group noted in a statement.
Twitter received negative reactions last week when Elon Musk unveiled a new policy that imposed restrictions on the number of tweets non-subscribing users could access per day. The limit was set at 1,000 tweets, causing frustration among the majority of users.
The decision to restrict the number of tweets users can read per day on Twitter was primarily motivated by the goal of curbing third-party reliance on the platform’s data. This measure aimed to regulate the use of the data by companies for artificial intelligence model training purposes.