Meta is set to launch a Twitter-rivalling microblogging app called Threads, days after Twitter boss Elon Musk attracted criticism by announcing a temporary cap on how many posts users can read on the social media site. The move is designed to prevent tech companies from scraping Twitter data and using it to train artificial intelligence systems. Still, it has already led to several users switching to rival apps.
Twitter, which has around 350 million active monthly users worldwide, is facing several challenges, and the new restrictions will likely lead to a decline in advertising revenue. Marketers who rely on the platform to promote their content and products must find a new home for their tweets. The new limits could also see some advertisers halt spending on Twitter, according to internal documents seen by Reuters.
The new Meta app, which has been in development for some time and was previously referred to as Project 92, will launch on Thursday (July 6), a listing on Apple’s (AAPL.O) App Store showed. The App Store listing said it would link to Instagram, allowing users to retain followers from the photo-sharing platform and keep the same username. It will also allow users to link their Instagram accounts with WhatsApp, another popular messaging service.
It’s a bold move by Meta, which is seeking to expand its social network business. The company has invested in virtual, augmented reality, and other emerging technologies to diversify its portfolio. It has also been working on tools to improve user experience on its main social networks, including an effort to make it easier for people with disabilities to use the platforms.
If the Threads app proves successful, it will be a credible threat to Twitter. However, it’s unclear whether Meta will be able to attract the advertisers that Twitter has relied on for most of its revenue. In addition, the new app will likely be subject to scrutiny over how it protects users’ privacy and online security.
Previously known as Mastodon, the app will join a growing field of Twitter alternatives, including BlueSky, a decentralized social network built by former Twitter employees that halted signups after the Twitter CEO’s limit-setting decision.
