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Threads is a social media and networking service owned by Meta Platforms, an American technology company. Similar to platforms like Twitter, Threads allows users to share text, images, and videos, as well as engage with others by replying, reposting, and liking posts. The app is currently available on iOS and Android with full functionality, and limited functionality on the web, although expansion is planned. Within its first 48 hours, Threads amassed a staggering 80 million users, breaking the previous record set by ChatGPT for rapid user signups.
Threads operates primarily in the United States and 99 other countries, excluding the European Union. As a prerequisite for signing up, users must have an Instagram account and use the same handle.
History of Instagram Threads
The concept of Threads originated from Meta employees' discussions following Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. Initially, the employees explored the idea of integrating a text-based feature called Instagram Notes into Instagram. However, they ultimately decided to develop a separate app with a focus on text, giving birth to Threads.
Development on Threads, initially referred to as "Project 92," began in January 2023. Information about the app was made public in March, and in June, The Verge published details of a company-wide meeting at Meta Platforms, where the project was described as their response to Twitter. It was revealed that several celebrities, including DJ Slime, had already committed to using the app, while talks were underway with Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama.
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Further information about Threads surfaced in July when developer Alessandro Paluzzi tweeted that Project 92 had been released as Threads on the Google Play Store. Although the app was taken down shortly after, Paluzzi shared screenshots of its features. On July 3, Threads appeared on the Apple App Store, with a scheduled release date of July 6. The app's unveiling coincided with changes in the number of tweets that could be viewed per day.
An official website, threads.net, was discovered, featuring a countdown to the service's launch and links to download the app. Threads was officially launched on July 5, 2023, in 100 countries, excluding the European Union, as Meta Platforms awaited regulatory clarification regarding the app's use of personal data.
Threads quickly gained traction, with two million users within hours, followed by five million users shortly after. Within a day, the app had been downloaded 30 million times, surpassing ChatGPT's previous record. However, Meta Platforms faced a potential legal challenge from Twitter, as their lawyers claimed that the company had used trade secrets to develop the app.
Design and Features
Threads is designed as a platform for real-time conversations and content sharing, aiming to provide users with an experience similar to Twitter. It emphasizes public, text-based posts and conversations, commonly known as microblogging. Threads is closely integrated with Instagram and offers posts with up to 500 characters of text and 5 minutes of video.
Threads Accounts
Threads accounts are closely tied to Instagram accounts, sharing the same username, profile picture, and display name by default. However, users can differentiate their profile picture and display name. Users have the option to choose which accounts they follow on Instagram will carry over to Threads, either with the other person's Threads account already created or set to automatically follow them once an account is created.
In the future, if Threads becomes compatible with the ActivityPub protocol as planned, users of federated services will be able to find and access Threads accounts at @[email protected]. Additionally, Threads users are expected to have the ability to limit replies to a post, keeping them exclusive to the Threads platform.
Platform Availability
Threads is available through native mobile clients for iOS and Android platforms, offering full functionality. There are also reports of a web application in the works, with profiles using the format threads.net/@user. Pre-orders for the app opened two days before its release in the United States.
However, Threads is blocked in Iran due to government censorship, similar to other popular social media platforms. Additionally, the app is not currently available in the European Union, as Meta Platforms awaits clarification on data-use laws and the Digital Markets Act. Despite being blocked by the Great Firewall, Threads reached the top 4 for free social apps in the Apple App Store in China.
Criticisms and Concerns
Threads has faced criticism due to its link with Instagram accounts, as users need to delete their Instagram accounts to delete their Threads account. In response to concerns, Adam Mosseri, the chief executive of Instagram, stated that they were exploring options to allow users to delete their Threads account separately. Users have the ability to deactivate their Threads account, which hides their profile and content, set their profile to private, and delete individual Threads posts without deleting their Instagram account.
One notable concern is that Threads users cannot disable Meta's tracking and profiling. The launch of Threads in the European Union was delayed due to the region's data-use laws, specifically the Digital Markets Act.
There are also fears among users of services that utilize the ActivityPub protocol, such as Mastodon, that Meta's adoption of the protocol aims to control and potentially diminish it. Many Mastodon instance owners are planning to block Threads' instance from connecting with their users. However, the creator of Mastodon maintains that the situation would remain unchanged if Threads were to abandon ActivityPub in the future.
Conclusion
Lastly, Threads has faced allegations of censoring conservatives and displaying prompts to users attempting to follow individuals like Donald Trump Jr., asking if they are sure due to the user's history of posting misinformation. Meta Platforms acknowledged this as an error.
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