Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

Meta Platforms plans to launch a microblogging app called Threads, which aims to compete with Twitter. This development comes shortly after Twitter CEO Elon Musk faced criticism for implementing a temporary cap on the number of posts users can read on the platform.

According to a listing on Apple’s App Store, Threads is expected to be released on Thursday. The app will enable users to maintain their followers from the photo-sharing platform Instagram and keep the same username.

This rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has encountered several controversies since Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in 2022. Last week, Musk introduced new restrictions on the app, limiting the daily number of tweets users can view. This move sparked outcry among many Twitter users.

Although alternative microblogging sites like Mastodon and Blue Sky have experienced an increase in user numbers following Musk’s acquisition, neither has managed to rival Twitter. However, Instagram already boasts hundreds of millions of registered users and has a track record of incorporating successful features from other social media platforms.

In response to the growing popularity of Snapchat, Instagram introduced a feature called “stories” in 2016, allowing user posts to disappear after a certain period. More recently, Instagram’s “Reels” feature has aimed to compete with the rising prominence of TikTok.

The launch of Threads poses a credible threat to Twitter under Musk’s leadership. His attempts to boost revenues and reshape the platform in his own image have faced significant criticism. Following the acquisition last year, Musk downsized the company by approximately 80 per cent and reinstated several banned accounts, including those of former US President Donald Trump and the conservative satirical news site Babylon Bee.

Concerns over an increase in harmful content on the platform led hundreds of advertisers to pause their spending on Twitter. Internal documents viewed by Reuters also revealed a decline in engagement among the platform’s most active users.