Journalism of Courage
Instagram’s new Twitter competitor app “Threads” has logged over 100 million users in under a week, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. This makes Threads the fastest-growing app in history. OpenAI’s ChatGPT previously held the crown for recording 100 million active users, but it took the app two months to reach the milestone.
The new microblogging platform was launched in 100 countries including India last week. In a matter of hours, the app proved to be a hit among users, amassing 30 million users within its first 24 hours, making it the fastest-downloaded app ever. On Friday, however, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads had crossed 70 million sign-ups.
The new social media platform is a direct challenger to Elon Musk’s Twitter which has been in turmoil since the Tesla CEO took over the platform. Threads is branded as an Instagram app and built by its team, but is focused on text-based updates, just like Twitter. Users need to log into the separate app using their Instagram account and can then post up to 500-character text updates, which can also include photos and videos.
Upon the launch of Threads, many big celebrities flocked to the microblogging platform. Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Oprah, and Kylie Jenner have set up an account on the platform. Big brands like Netflix, Spotify and Apple are all using Threads and so are many news outlets like Vogue.
Experts say Threads can give tough competition to Twitter in the long run. Since Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, the billionaire has struggled to transform the platform by reducing the number of employees and making policy changes that have alienated some of Twitter’s most loyal users.
Musk has reacted sharply to the launch of the Threads app, accusing Meta of “unlawful misappropriation” of trade secrets. In fact, Twitter has taken legal action over Meta’s new social media app, claiming it is a “copycat” platform it built by hiring former Twitter staff.
