Meta has decided to encourage the use of Threads, its microblogging platform, through Instagram, leveraging the vast user base of the latter. As the popularity of Threads has begun to decline after its initial launch, the company seeks to reactivate interest by motivating users to share Threads content in their Instagram stories. Threads users have started receiving suggestions to “Add this to your Instagram story,” designed to attract new users and foster interaction between both platforms. Instagram stories aim to boost interaction in […]
Meta has decided to encourage the use of Threads, its microblogging platform, through Instagram, leveraging the vast user base of the latter.
As the popularity of Threads has begun to wane following its initial launch, the company is looking to rekindle interest by encouraging users to share Threads content in their Instagram stories.
Threads users have started receiving suggestions to “Add this to your Instagram story,” designed to attract new users and encourage interaction between both platforms.
Meta is to open its Threads social network to almost all advertisers globally, creating a new line of revenue for the company by giving brands access to users across 30 markets, including the US https://t.co/y3Mt73wxwz
Instagram stories aim to boost interaction on Threads despite the conflict
This message, which appears during the creation of posts, seems to have the explicit intention of increasing the visibility of the posts, suggesting that by sharing on Instagram, one can get “more eyes on your posts.” However, this approach has raised doubts about its effectiveness, given the difference in purpose and style between the two social networks.
Surprisingly, a large part of the content shared on Threads may not be suitable for Instagram, which raises an internal conflict between the two platforms.
They are networks that, although they belong to the same conglomerate, have distinct characteristics and attract different audiences and types of content. While Instagram focuses more on curated images and videos, Threads tends to host more informal dialogues and quick opinions.
Although Meta has not made any official statement regarding this strategy, it is evident that the true goal behind these prompts is to increase the user base of Threads, rather than simply improving the visibility of existing posts.
The company seems to be in a race to revitalize interest in a social network that, after its meteoric launch, has taken a back seat in the current media ecosystem. This tactic could be seen as an attempt to consolidate its presence in a market where competition is fierce and constantly evolving.
Meta has started testing a new feature for Threads that closely resembles the old TweetDeck, a beloved tool by Twitter users that Elon Musk, the owner of the social network, renamed X Pro and turned into a paid service. This new feature will allow Threads users to create customizable feeds on the web that are presented in a column interface, offering a more organized and personalized experience.
“If you are part of the test, you can keep things simple with a single feed or add separate columns for your favorite searches, tags, accounts, saved posts, and notifications,” explained Meta spokesperson Seine Kim, to The Verge. In addition, these columns can be configured to “automatically update in real time“, promising a much more dynamic and tailored experience to users’ needs.
Meta has selected certain users from Threads to test this new web version experience. A screenshot shown by The Verge reveals that this interface is very similar to TweetDeck, allowing users to decide whether columns are automatically updated with the latest posts, as well as pinning columns with search results or posts from a specific user.
This addition seems to be a direct response to the complaints of many Threads users, who are forced to use the algorithmic feed “For you” every time they visit Threads on the web. Although Threads has a real-time feed, users have to bookmark the corresponding URL or manually switch every time they load Threads. The same complication arises in the mobile apps, where the Following feed is hidden behind a tap on the Threads main logo.
TweetDeck, before its acquisition by Twitter in 2011, was a very popular third-party app thanks to features such as support for multiple accounts and customizable feeds. These characteristics made it an essential tool for advanced users, journalists, and marketing professionals. However, accessing the now renamed X Pro requires a subscription to X Premium, which costs 8.47 euros per month. It seems that you can’t have nice things.
Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri stated on Monday that the implementation is part of a “limited test” and the feature is only available to some users.
“We are starting to test this with a small number of people, making it easier to search for relevant real-time results,” he said in response to a user.
A user who was part of the test posted that they could see the “Top” and “Recent” filters on the search results screen. However, Threads says that the “Recent” filter is not strictly chronological, but it is more suitable than the “Top” filter to view the latest posts.
Last November, Mosseri warned that Threads lacked the real-time search feature because it could create a “security loophole”. In other words, they wanted to prevent bots from spamming with keywords at all times, so they prefer to filter those comments and that’s why the search is not immediate.
After several months absent from our continent, Threads, the Meta app created to compete with Twitter, is now available in Europe starting today, Thursday. After resolving its legal “issues” with the European Union, Mark Zuckerberg’s social network enters a territory where Twitter, still in a dying state, remains the undisputed leader, ahead of apps like Bluesky or Mastodon.
But Meta doesn’t hesitate to stand up to the social network owned by Elon Musk, even going so far as to copy some of its most prominent features, such as the popular Community Notes, which allow Twitter users to add extra information to tweets that include misinformation, incomplete information, or even scams.
And it is that, as announced this week by Meta itself, the company plans to add a fact-checking feature in Threads with the aim of addressing misinformation within the app itself instead of managing it through its other platforms.
Although the parent company of Facebook and Instagram uses third-party fact-checking teams to address misinformation on these social networks, Threads currently does not have its own independent information verification team. This situation will change very soon.
“Early next year, our external fact-checking partners will be able to review and rate misinformation in Threads,” Meta explains in a publication. “Currently, when a fact-checker rates content as false on Facebook or Instagram, we extend that fact-check rating to nearly identical content on Threads, but fact-checkers cannot rate Threads content on its own.”
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, also shared a post about this new program, although he didn’t provide many details beyond it arriving “next year”. “Currently, we match fact-checking ratings from Facebook or Instagram with Threads, but our goal is for fact-checking partners to have the ability to review and rate misinformation in the app,” wrote Mosseri. “There will be more updates soon.”
After its launch in over 100 countries, Meta’s competitor to Twitter has reached the EU and its 448 million citizens.
Threads was launched unexpectedly this summer, as you may recall, but it encountered an insurmountable wall in the Old Continent, this wall was called the European Union and its Commission. Because in Europe we may be old, but no one takes care of our rights like we do.
After its launch in over 100 countries – including the US and the UK – in mid-2023, Meta’s Twitter competitor has arrived in the EU and its 448 million citizens.
The Twitter competitor of Meta, Threads, is now available in the European Union, according to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. “Today we are opening Threads to more European countries,” Zuckerberg wrote in a post about Threads.
A very difficult path because of the regulators
The launch comes after the service debuted in the United States and in over 100 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, in July 2023.
But until now, Threads was not available to the 448 million people living in the EU, and the company has even blocked access to the service to EU users through VPN.
? Twitter rival Threads launches in Europe as the bloc’s Big Tech rules come into play.
First launched in the US, the UK and 100 other countries in July, the delay in its arrival in the EU is reportedly blamed on the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. ⤵️https://t.co/jJypKeIS43
To coincide with today’s launch, Meta offers European users the ability to browse Threads without needing a profile. However, to post or interact with content, an Instagram account will still be required.
The company’s delay in launching the service in EU countries has been largely attributed to the recent introduction in the block of the Digital Markets Law, a comprehensive legislative text designed to curb abuses by large technology companies and level the playing field.
Although Meta has not directly mentioned the regulation, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, has attributed the delay to “the complexity of complying with some of the laws that will come into effect next year”.
Threads says its lawyers have informed Meta that it will seek an injunction from the courts if Facebook’s parent company.
Sometimes it’s nice to see how the world turns upside down. How the small one confronts the giant. How David and Goliath come back to life in the form of a legal battle. Today, we tell the story of a small company that has sued the American giant… for having used its name.
Threads Software Limited states that its lawyers have informed Meta that they will seek an injunction from the courts if Facebook’s parent company continues to use the name “Threads” after the 30-day deadline.
Threads is an intelligent cloud-based messaging hub that captures, transcribes, and organizes all digital messages, emails, and phone calls of a company into an easily searchable database. It is provided by Threads Software Limited and was conceived and registered in 2012 by JPY Ltd.
The Threads service has been actively promoted worldwide since 2014, and after its first commercial sale in the United States in 2018, JPY Ltd spun off a new company, Threads Software Ltd.
According to the press release, since then, Threads Software Ltd has licensed its service to nearly 1,000 organizations worldwide, with sales currently growing at an annual rate of 200%.
It appears that Meta was aware of Threads before launching its platform with the same name. The company’s lawyers made four offers to purchase the domain “threads.app” from Threads Software Ltd starting from April 2023, all of which were rejected.
Meta announced Threads in July 2023, the same time, according to the British company, it was removed from Facebook.
“Facing a $150 billion company is not an easy decision for us to make. We have invested 10 years in our platform, establishing a recognized brand in the name Threads. Our business is now under serious threat from one of the world’s largest technology companies,” stated Dr. John Yardley, CEO of Threads Software Ltd. “We recognize this as the classic ‘David and Goliath’ battle against Meta. And even though they may think they can use any name they want, that doesn’t give them the right to use the Threads brand.”
An app that is succeeding after a challenging start
Similar to Twitter (now X), which is being sued by a company with the same name, Threads is one of those terms used by multiple organizations. Among them are the football platform Thread and a Slack-style platform called Threads from a San Francisco startup.
In a less related context, there is also a heart-wrenching 1984 British film called Threads about the aftermath of a nuclear war that traumatized many who watched it.
Meta’s competitor against Elon Musk’s X has reached nearly 100 million monthly users since its launch in early July, as announced by its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, during a call with shareholders on Wednesday.
“I’ve been thinking for a long time that there should be a public conversation app for a billion people that’s a bit more positive,” said Zuckerberg during Wednesday’s call. “I think if we stick with this for a few more years, we’ll have a good chance of achieving our vision.”
Meta launched Threads in July. Although it was quite basic at first, the company has wasted no time in adding a bunch of features, such as a web application, the ability to search for posts, and an editing feature that doesn’t require payment. The app is still not available in Europe due to Meta’s uncertainty about its ability to comply with the new regulations.
In a Threads post on Wednesday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said, “I hope we can land support for Europe, early Fediverse progress, better Instagram integrations, and trends in the coming months.”
If you’re curious to hear more about Zuckerberg discussing Threads, including its competition history with Twitter and Meta’s plan to decentralize it, check out his recent interview mentioned above.
Instagram launched Threads to compete with X, formerly known as Twitter, and now the company adds new features to keep the application relevant and up to date. Despite failing to keep its initial hype, Meta continuously work on enhancing the application. According to recent reports by 9to5Mac and Mashable, Meta is working on bringing Twitter’s “trending topic” feature to the app!
This expected feature was accidentally revealed over the weekend when a Threads employee “accidentally” published a screenshot. The snapshot showed a numbered list of popular subjects as well as the number of “threads” that were actively discussing each of these topics. Willian Max, an alert user, saw this development and suspected that the message was intended for internal use within Meta, the parent firm. You can see the screenshot below:
Here is @willanmax’s post on Threads
The leaked image featured a variety of hot trends, including Drake’s new album, as well as other current events like as Billboard’s Latin Music Week and the premiere of Loki Season 2 on Disney+. While Instagram, Threads’ parent company, has kept mute on these claims, it’s worth noting that Threads’ Trends list appears to differ from X’s since it lacks other trend categories like as News, Sports, and Entertainment, as well as customized trends created “For You.”
Threads’ ongoing efforts to compete with X
The implementation of the Trends feature is a huge step forward in Threads’ continuing battle with X. Threads, which quickly grew to 100 million users following its July 5 start, has witnessed a drop in usage over time. To address this, the Threads team has been working hard to introduce additional functionality to the platform. These include a chronological feed, the launch of a web app, simple profile switching, the option to examine favorite posts, and, most importantly, search capabilities.
Threads, on the other hand, realizes the need to integrate search and trends in order to fully challenge X and mimic its appeal as a hub for breaking news and relevant conversations. This collaboration is critical for establishing Threads as a destination for keeping informed and engaging in meaningful conversations—an area in which it can improve.
According to recent reports, there have been internal arguments within Threads over how much news information the platform should welcome. Some top authorities have raised doubts, concerned about the possible risks of spreading news, such as the dissemination of inflammatory and bogus news. This problem is not specific to Threads; Meta, the parent firm, has previously had similar issues on its Facebook platform.
Threads is driven to evolve and adapt as it seeks to carve out its own distinct market niche. It remains to be seen if Trends will be the game-changer that propels Threads to the forefront of the social media world and allows it to compete head-to-head with X.
Threads, the rapidly growing social networking platform, is set to introduce a feature that allows users to delete their Threads account without affecting their Instagram profile. This development, while still in the works, holds promise for Threads users seeking more flexibility and independence. This has been awaited for many months now by Instagram users as they wanted to delete their Threads accounts without touching their Instagram accounts. Meta is finally making it available in December, and probably thousands of people will use the feature. We recently covered it as a data miner on X found it in the files, and now the information is official!
Independent account deletion on the way
According to TechCrunch, Threads‘ development team is hard at work on a solution. They hope to provide customers the option to deactivate their Threads account independently from their Instagram account. This functionality is planned to be available in December. Until then, those who want to leave Threads can deactivate their account, make it private, or, as a last option, erase their Instagram account as well.
“Technically, it was extremely challenging to allow deletion of a separate Threads account without also deleting your overall Instagram account out of the gate. So we paid particular attention to ensuring the user could still exercise their deletion rights, by deactivating the account to sort of hide all content, setting it to private or deleting individual threads,” Meta’s chief privacy officer for product, Michel Protti, said to TechCrunch.
Threads made an impressive start
Threads made headlines earlier this year with its explosive launch, amassing an astounding 100 million user sign-ups in just days. Surpassing even ChatGPT, Threads became the fastest service to reach the 100 million users mark. This rapid ascent can be attributed, in part, to Threads’ seamless one-click account creation for existing Instagram users.
The interconnection of Threads and Instagram accounts, however, posed a challenge for consumers. Due to Meta’s control of both platforms, deleting one meant losing access to the other. But there is some good news on the way.
Threads confronts the problem of sustaining its original pace as it expands. Analysts expect that Threads will have around 23.7 million active users in the United States by the end of the year. Threads’ competitor, X (previously known as Twitter), is expected to have 56.1 million active US users within the same time period. These figures illustrate the natural progression of a younger social network vs a well-established platform.
In the fast-paced world of social media, user empowerment and privacy are critical. The impending separate account deactivation functionality in Threads is a significant step in this regard. As Threads evolves, it’s critical to keep an eye on how this feature may impact the social networking environment. Threads, with a bright future ahead of it, is a platform to keep an eye on as it seeks to provide consumers the power and alternatives they want.
The X may be the last straw that ended up burying Twitter, but only time will tell. Meanwhile we give you five options to Twitter.
We’re all sick of X. Ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter this time last year, users of the bluebird social network have been watching our favorite app turn into something different… something worse.
For all those who, like me, are beginning to tire of the ups and downs of Elon Musk’s app, today’s industry offers plenty of similar options not managed by the most controversial CEO of our time.
It seems like a good option if you miss the old days of just posting harmless tweets between friends, but be aware that Bluesky’s terms and conditions state that it owns everything you post.
Other than that, the main problem will most likely be creating an account on Bluesky. The social network only accepts invitations during its beta period, a decision that has prevented it from becoming overrun with brands and spambots, but has also prevented its user base from growing as fast as it could.
Threads
It was only a matter of time before Meta came out with a Twitter copycat. Launched this July, Threads arrived without a ton of features that people have come to expect, such as emoji, hashtags, trending topics, or even a follow feed.
Threads is also technically a feature of Instagram rather than a completely separate platform, meaning you can’t delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account.
Fortunately, Meta has said it is working to fix this problem, as well as the various missing features in Threads, and has begun rolling out a follower feed later this month.
Like Bluesky, SPILL also has some former Twitter employees behind it. But unlike Bluesky, SPILL is explicitly focused on building a safe and diverse community for “culture boosters.”
The social network defines them as the creators who originate the memes and vernacular that permeate the Internet. They usually belong to the black community and are often uncredited.
Apart from age limits, SPILL imposes no restrictions on creating an account. SPILL is still in beta testing, so if you want to join you will have to get an invitation code or join the waiting list.
Mastodon
Although Mastodon launched in 2016, it came back into prominence in 2022. Millions of new users flocked to Mastodon in the wake of Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, and for a moment it looked like it would become the next microblogging app.
However, Mastodon’s multi-server system can be confusing and off-putting to new users, and is just one of several features that have hindered the platform’s growth.
Hive was another competitor that benefited from Musk’s purchase of Twitter. Hive, a relatively small platform created by a small team of three women, announced that its user base had grown to one million accounts just a month after the acquisition. One Direction, K-pop, Star Wars and video game fan groups signed up for Hive.
Like the old MySpace pages, Hive allows users to customize their profile by adding songs or changing its color. It also distinguishes itself by placing more emphasis on images, and imposes no length limits on users.
