Meta* has released Threads, a new social network, the equivalent of Twitter
By ForGeeks Mark Zuckerberg tonight announced the launch of a new social networking app called Threads, which we wrote about the other day. The new app uses your Instagram login* and supports posting 500-character text updates, photos, and videos.
Threads, Meta*’s Twitter competitor, has finally launched after months of rumors, leaks and information about the fight between billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Ilon Musk. You can now access the platform at threads.net or by downloading the iOS and Android app. You can also subscribe to me on Threads right away: https://www.threads.net/@kuuuuzya
In an interview about the Threads launch, Instagram* head Adam Mosseri said: “Obviously Twitter was a pioneer in this space … but with everything going on, we thought there was an opportunity to create something open and something that was good for the community that was already using Instagram*.”
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In Threads, you can create text messages up to 500 characters long, as well as share photos and videos up to five minutes long. The app looks relatively similar to Twitter, with a minimal interface and the ability to like, comment, repost and share topics. Because Threads is closely tied to Instagram*, you can log in with your Instagram username* and easily subscribe to all the same people you’re subscribed to on the other platform.
Like Instagram*, Threads’ main feed contains both recommended content and posts from people you’re subscribed to. However, there doesn’t seem to be an option to switch between recommended content streams and subscriber-only content, like on Twitter, but that’s something Meta* might add later.
Meta* also extends some Instagram privacy controls to topics, such as the ability to filter out certain words in responses. You can also limit who can reply to your posts. Meta* does not include thread support for ActivityPub at launch. But the decentralized social networking protocol, also used by Mastodon, will, among other things, allow you to transfer your information from threads to another host.
“We believe this decentralized approach, similar to the protocols that govern email and the web itself, will play an important role in the future of online platforms,” Meta* says. “Threads is Meta*’s first app compatible with an open social networking protocol – we hope that by joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads will help people find their community, no matter what app they use.”
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The launch of Threads comes as Twitter imposes additional restrictions on users, including a time limit that prohibits non-verified (those who haven’t purchased a tick box) users from viewing more than 600 posts per day.
Meta* has launched Threads in more than 100 countries, including the U.S., but it will not be available in the European Union. Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram*, who says he now lives in Europe, explained the decision not to launch the new service there by saying that they don’t yet know how to handle the new laws that will come into effect next year. Nevertheless, users from Russia are able to access Threads, probably using VPN services or some other ways to bypass restrictions.
Instagram and Threads are owned by Meta, which is considered extremist in the Russian Federation and is banned
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