Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, is working on a new social media platform that could rival Twitter. The platform, which may be called Threads, is planned to be decentralized and text-based, allowing users to share timely updates about their interests. The app will use a similar framework as Mastodon, a Twitter-like service that was launched in 2016.
Meta’s motivation for launching Threads is to create a separate space where creators and public figures can interact with their fans and followers, without the noise and controversy that often plague Twitter. Meta also hopes to attract a younger audience that is more interested in short-form content than long-form posts on Facebook or Instagram. The app will be tightly integrated with Instagram, using the same login credentials and iconography.
The project is still in its early stages and Meta has not announced a launch date or any details about how the app will work. However, some screenshots obtained by the Verge show that the app’s user interface is very similar to Twitter’s feed, with a timeline of text updates, a compose button, and options to like, comment, or repost. The app will also support hashtags and mentions, as well as direct messages.
Meta’s move to launch Threads comes at a time when Twitter is facing challenges from both competitors and regulators. Twitter was taken private by Elon Musk in 2022, after he won a bidding war against other tech giants. Since then, Twitter has seen a decline in its advertising revenue and user engagement, as well as an increase in spam and scam accounts. Twitter has also been criticized for its content moderation policies and its decision to restore suspended accounts and release a paid account verification feature.
Meta’s new social media platform could pose a serious threat to Twitter’s dominance as the world’s “digital town square”. However, Meta will also have to deal with its own issues of trust and safety, as well as its huge investments in the metaverse, a virtual world where users can interact and work. Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the metaverse is the future of social media, but analysts have doubted whether it will generate significant revenue anytime soon.
