Meta launches rival app Threads – how does it stack up against Twitter?

Things are a bit chaotic on the app thus far, as a crush of brands and would-be influencers look to stake their claim with content. Some big names from Instagram and Twitter are already posting, though most missives are of the “here I am on Threads variety”.

Politicians are also keen to get on board, with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews posting “Everyone right to go?“, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese replying “Ready over here.”

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There’s only one main feed, which is a mix of suggested content and accounts followed by the user, so those not yet following many active accounts are being presented with a weird collection of content that Meta’s algorithms think they’ll be interested in.

The search function also only seems capable of searching for users but not posts. But Meta is referring to this as “the first version” of Threads, and claims changes to the feed and search function will roll out over time, along with a web version which is currently missing.

Also promised for the future is compatibility with the ActivityPub protocol, a technology underlying the so-called Fediverse that allows users to take their profile, data and follower information and move it between compatible apps. Essentially, this would mean a person using the Mastodon social networking platform (or any other compatible service) could interact with content that a person posted on Threads, and vice versa.

Threads does not presently display ads, and Meta does not plan to monetise it at all this year. But, rest assured, the service is collecting data from users exactly the way Instagram is, as selling information to target ads is core to Meta’s business.

Some users on Twitter, most notably it’s founder Jack Dorsey, have made a point of showing the Threads privacy label from the App Store. It includes many different types of data that the app will collect as people use the service, which will be used to build a profile of information about each individual, from their location information to purchasing data, and from photos they post to their phone number.

But while that information could, understandably, be a turn-off for some would-be Threads users, there’s nothing particularly unusual or especially ominous about its label. It’s practically identical to the one found on the Instagram and Facebook apps, and very similar to those used by Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.

In fact, even if Meta never displays ads on Threads, the service could become a vital extension of its reach when it comes to building up data for its ads business on Instagram and elsewhere. Its potential connection to the Fediverse wouldn’t harm this part of the app either; if users on Threads have access to more posts to interact with, that’s more data.

As for whether Threads will become the go-to microblogging platform, it’s too early to tell. Meta has a track record of abandoning new ventures, and Threads will have to prove its value to the business as well as to users. Compared with Twitter at its best, Threads doesn’t currently have the capacity to follow real-time news or keep an eye on trending topics.

But this is day one, and Meta is playing a long game. It has the advantage of more than one billion Instagram users already set up, it plans to tap into the rising Fediverse, and the incumbent Twitter seems locked in a nosedive.

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