Threads App Surpasses 30 Million Sign-Ups, Mark Zuckerberg Celebrates Success

Meta’s new social media app, Threads garners rapid user growth and attracts notable influencers

In an unprecedented achievement, Meta’s latest social media venture, the Threads app, has amassed over 30 million sign-ups within a mere 24 hours of its launch. The platform’s remarkable growth not only underscores its popularity but also draws the attention of social media influencers and celebrities capable of generating substantial buzz, a feat that many startups could only dream of achieving.

Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Meta, has been actively seeking ways to strengthen the company’s core digital ads business. To this end, he has implemented significant layoffs and emulated the viral success of TikTok by emphasizing content from creators across Meta’s social networks over posts from friends and family.

By capitalizing on Elon Musk’s turbulent tenure at Twitter and the enduring appeal of text-based social media networking, Meta aims to expand its digital footprint on a grand scale with Threads.

During the app’s unveiling, Zuckerberg expressed his vision for a public conversations platform with over one billion users, highlighting Twitter’s missed opportunity to achieve this milestone. Meta’s strategy with Threads revolves around leveraging the vast user base and cultural influence of Instagram to gain an edge over other Twitter alternatives that start from scratch. However, experts caution that the company still faces challenges in order to avoid Threads fading into obscurity like Myspace. These challenges include developing features that cater to the demands of social media power users and ensuring a continuous stream of engaging content for everyday users.

Currently, Threads functions similarly to Twitter, allowing users to share posts, referred to as “threads,” featuring inspirational memes, late-night thoughts, and sarcastic remarks. Like Twitter, the focus is primarily on text-based posts, with a character limit of 500 (Twitter’s limit being 280). Users can tag each other using the @ symbol, reply to threads, and repost them.

Nevertheless, Threads lacks certain capabilities familiar to social media users, such as direct messaging, content search functionality, and the use of hashtags to tap into viral trends. Meta executives have hinted that these features may be introduced in the future. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, mentioned on the app that the company plans to incorporate a search function and develop a website version of Threads.

While the simplicity of Threads’ layout may appeal to Twitter users struggling with the numerous changes on Musk’s platform, questions remain regarding the app’s potential for cultivating the same level of snarky humor, political discourse, and sharp commentary prevalent on Twitter.

The staggering sign-up figures announced by Zuckerberg suggest that Threads was attracting over one million new users per hour. However, the authenticity of these sign-ups is yet to be verified. These numbers overshadow the user counts of other platforms vying against Musk’s Twitter, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, which have yet to exceed single-digit millions.

One advantage Threads enjoys is its integration with Instagram, providing an existing user base that is easily accessible. Threads users can log in with their Instagram credentials in a single click and have the option to carry over their username and follow the same accounts.

Meta’s launch of Threads coincides with a challenging period for Twitter. Musk recently announced temporary limitations on tweet reading and viewing for non-logged-in users, causing further discontent among advertisers concerned about content moderation practices. Meta is expected to have an advantage over Twitter in recruiting and retaining marketers due to its proficiency in targeted advertising.

While Meta has yet to introduce advertising on Threads, the company’s commitment to content guidelines similar to those enforced on Instagram aims to combat hate speech, harassment, and degrading content. Users banned from Instagram are also prohibited from creating profiles on Threads. However, Meta may face scrutiny from regulators and activists regarding misinformation, conspiracies, and privacy concerns. Content moderation practices and data-sharing policies will be closely monitored.

Meta launched Threads in over 100 countries, excluding the European Union, where the company was recently fined $1.3 billion for violating data privacy regulations. Meta’s data-sharing practices are also called into question by the Digital Markets Act passed by the EU.

Critics, including Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, highlighted the extensive personal data access requested by Threads during the sign-up process. The information includes health and fitness data, search history, contacts, and browsing history, as listed on Apple’s App Store.

The launch of Threads and its overwhelming reception by users comes at a pivotal time for social media platforms, as they navigate an economically challenging landscape heavily reliant on digital advertising. Meta, Snap, Google, and Twitter have all faced workforce reductions, while inflation and new privacy regulations from Apple have impacted their marketing services. However, these companies, including Meta, have experienced recent rebounds, with Meta’s stock rising by over 126% in six months and the company recording its first quarterly revenue increase in nearly a year.

Amidst their ongoing battles for the future of text-based social media apps, both Musk and Zuckerberg have engaged in lighthearted banter on social media platforms. They recently agreed to participate in a Jujitsu fight, and throughout the Threads launch, they have subtly and not-so-subtly taken jabs at each other’s businesses.

Threads has been positioned by Meta as a space focused on kindness and a refuge from noise. In contrast, Musk criticized Instagram for promoting what he referred to as “fake positivity,” emphasizing the contrasting experiences offered by the platforms.

As Meta’s Threads gains unprecedented traction, the challenge lies in maintaining user engagement, expanding feature offerings, and upholding content standards. The coming months will determine if Threads can establish itself as a lasting social media contender in an increasingly competitive landscape.