Threads, also referred to by many as "the new Twitter," is a new social media platform that went live for users around the world, except in the European Union, on Wednesday night. By the end of the following day, over 30 million users had signed up.
What is Threads?
Threads is another social media platform run by Meta, the company that also owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The platform is for sharing text updates and joining public conversations.
How do I use it?
Users log into Threads with their Instagram accounts and can share Threads posts to Instagram stories as well as on other platforms. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos and videos up to five minutes long.
Meta said that a user's feed on Threads includes threads posted both by followed accounts and content from new creators the user hasn't discovered yet. For now, only Instagram users can create Threads accounts, though Meta has plans to change that in the future.
"Our vision is that people using compatible apps will be able to follow and interact with people on Threads without having a Threads account, and vice versa, ushering in a new era of diverse and interconnected networks," Meta said. "If you have a public profile on Threads, this means your posts would be accessible from other apps, allowing you to reach new people with no added effort."
Threads vs. Twitter
On both Threads and Twitter, users can repost, reply to or quote a thread. Users can also "like" threads and their related media such as links and photos. Threads allows users a bit more space to work with at 500 characters per post compared to Twitter's 280.
"We built Threads with tools to enable positive, productive conversations," said Meta. Mark Zuckerberg said (or threaded?) on the new platform that being positive is one difference Meta hopes to make with Threads compared to Twitter and that difference is "one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have."
Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta over Threads, saying that it is using "trade secrets" and other intellectual property gathered by hiring former Twitter employees.
Privacy on Threads
Threads could collect personal information like browsing and search history, location data, contacts, health and financial information from users according to its privacy disclosure. Privacy concerns are the reason it is not available yet in the European Union, as there is uncertainty with the Digital Markets Act about how the app will use personal data.
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