Move Over Twitter, Here Comes Threads: The Latest in the Musk-Zuckerberg Rivalry

Illustration: Lucidity Insights

In the ongoing battle between tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are facing off again. This time, the rivalry intensifies with the launch of Meta's Threads app, poised to rival Twitter. Announced for launch on Thursday July 6, the app aims to provide a similar conversational platform to Twitter, but with a distinct Meta touch.

Marketed as a standalone, camera-first messaging app from Instagram intended to promote sharing among close friends in its early production stages, “threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow," reads the App Store description, highlighting a key selling point – creating and nurturing online communities by connecting with like-minded people.
 Image: Threads app coming-soon on App Store

Against the backdrop of Twitter's recent challenges, including imposed tweet limits due to "extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation," as stated by Musk, the Threads announcement couldn't have been better timed. In response to the Threads launch, Musk employed a hint of sarcasm, saying, "Thank goodness they're so sanely run" — a barbed reference to reported comments about his eccentric management style at Twitter.

Musk, who took Twitter private in October, has faced criticism for his disruptive strategies, which some believe have strained the platform's advertiser relationships and user base. Despite these struggles, Musk remains steadfast in revitalizing the platform's growth. A part of this strategy includes putting TweetDeck behind a paywall and urging users to sign up for Twitter's subscription service, Twitter Blue. In stark contrast, Meta's Threads is anticipated to be a free service without any restrictions on post views. 

Related: Elon Musk is World's Richest Person Once Again

While there have been several Twitter-like apps in the past, such as Donald Trump's Truth Social and Mastodon, Zuckerberg expects Threads to be the most significant threat Twitter has faced so far. Known for his knack for borrowing and effectively executing ideas from other companies, Zuckerberg has the resources to pose a real challenge to Twitter. 

Threads will be part of the Instagram platform, leveraging its substantial user base and bypassing the issue of starting from scratch that many rival platforms face. With accounts linked to Instagram profiles, Threads users will find building a network of followers easier than if one were to be signing up from scratch. Threads will also offer users several options when sharing - to share posts with everyone on the site, or only with those they follow, or even restrict posts to individual users they've mentioned. 
 
Image: Threads app preview on App Store

Despite Musk's commitment to free speech earning him praise in some quarters, his radical moves have driven some users away. Threads could provide an appealing alternative for disgruntled Twitter users amid these shifts. As other platforms like BlueSky, Mastodon, and Tribel gain traction, but grapple with functionality issues, Threads' integration with Instagram provides a familiar environment where users can transfer their existing network.

On the other hand, screenshots of Threads depict a striking resemblance to Twitter's layout, albeit with the added feature of collecting data on users' location, purchases and browsing history. This extensive data collection can provide Meta with rich user insights, potentially leading to more personalized and relevant content. However, it can also raise privacy concerns among users, and this is an aspect of social media that has been an active topic of debate in the tech industry for years.

Instagram users have already taken to the app to express their dismay with comments along the lines of “check the permissions on that app, it collects so much data it’s not even funny…”
 Image: App Store screenshot of Privacy section on Threads app

Related: EU Hits Meta with Record €1.2 Billion Fine Over US Data Transfers

Nevertheless, Threads seems to be well-positioned to take on Twitter in this brewing battle having leveraged Meta's massive resources and an existing Instagram user base. With the Threads launch, Zuckerberg takes a strategic swipe at Musk, escalating the rivalry between these two tech giants.

 

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