Threads, Meta's social media platform to rival Twitter, is going live

Meta, the parent company behind Instagram and Facebook, is set to launch its new app called Threads this week, which aims to compete with Twitter.

The app, available for pre-order on the U.S. Apple App Store, will be integrated with Instagram and features a text-based conversation platform resembling Twitter's dashboard. The app has not yet appeared in European App Stores, perhaps because of privacy regulations that continue to plague social media platforms.

Twitter, meanwhile, has announced that its popular user dashboard, TweetDeck, will be put behind a paywall soon, as part of Musk's efforts to drive users towards Twitter Blue, the subscription service.

Meta's Threads app appears to be free and without restrictions on post visibility. The app will gather data from users' phones, including location, purchases, and browsing history, reported the BBC.

"Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow" the description on the App Store says.

While similar Twitter-like apps have emerged in recent years, Threads poses a significant threat to Twitter, given Meta's extensive resources and its integration with Instagram. Zuckerberg has a history of borrowing and implementing successful ideas from other companies, as seen with Meta's Reels (TikTok copy) and Stories (Snapchat-like feature), said the BBC. Despite Musk's commitment to free speech, his recent actions have alienated some users. Zuckerberg aims to attract disillusioned Twitter users to create a genuine alternative.

According to Bloomberg, Meta is utilising its vast user base to rapidly expand Threads and enable users to follow the same accounts they are connected with on Instagram while retaining their usernames.