The user engagement of Threads by Instagram is encountering challenges in maintaining its initial levels. Recent data from a Similarweb report underscores a substantial setback, disclosing a remarkable 79% decline in traffic within a span of one month. This precipitous decrease serves to underscore a noteworthy reduction in user interaction and engagement on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter).
As per the report, the Threads Android application experienced a peak traffic volume of 49.3 million daily active users on July 7, which has now dwindled to a mere 10.3 million daily active users. Similarly, the average time spent by users on the platform has plummeted from 21 minutes per day to a mere 3 minutes per day within the United States.
Threads enjoyed immediate success and garnered over 100 million sign-ups within a few days of its official launch. Nonetheless, the platform struggled to sustain this initial momentum and has experienced a marked decline since then. While its counterpart, X, presently boasts more than 100 million active users who devote an average of around 25 minutes per day to the platform, indicative of higher user activity.
In a series of posts on Threads, Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged the unprecedented response during the platform’s launch, and the company is presently engaged in efforts to stabilise the platform by introducing new features to retain its user base. Recent enhancements to the platform include incorporating chronological timelines and dedicated timelines for follower accounts, among others.
Threads, Instagram’s audacious foray into the realm of microblogging, has stunned the digital landscape by amassing a staggering 100 million users within a mere week, according to Meta’s illustrious Mark Zuckerberg, CEO. This meteoric rise cements Threads’ position as the swiftest-growing app in the annals of history, outpacing even OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which took a comparatively leisurely two months to achieve the same feat.
Emerging victoriously from its global debut in 100 countries, including India, the app captivated the hearts and screens of 30 million individuals within a few hours, effortlessly securing the title of the fastest-downloaded app ever conceived. However, the maestro behind Meta, the indomitable Mark Zuckerberg, astounded the world again on Friday when he announced that Threads had surpassed a staggering 70 million sign-ups, propelling it into uncharted popularity.
Threads, ingeniously cloaked as an Instagram app, was masterfully crafted by the talented minds within the Instagram fold. Yet, it aims to emulate Twitter’s essence by focusing primarily on concise textual updates. Users must access the separate app using their Instagram credentials, enabling them to weave compelling narratives within a 500-character limit while incorporating captivating photos and videos.
Threads directly challenge Twitter, which has wobbled on the ridge of turmoil since its acquisition by the illustrious Tesla CEO. The billionaire maverick has struggled to reshape the platform to his visionary whims, a contentious journey fraught with employee reductions and controversial policy alterations that have, regrettably, alienated a considerable faction of Twitter’s steadfast devotees.
Since the launch of Threads, Musk has criticized Threads several times, unleashing accusations of “unlawful misappropriation” of trade secrets against Meta. As the digital arena braces for an epic clash between the social media behemoths, Threads emerges as an indomitable force, capturing the collective imagination of millions while raising the stakes in the ceaseless struggle for online dominance.
There was Logan Paul Vs KSI, TikTok Vs YouTube, and now it looks like Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg is brewing up to be one of the biggest brawls in recent times. Gone are the days when beefing up was limited to social media personalities or brands, now, billionaires are in for the fun and openly mocking each other on public platforms. Truly interesting times we’re living in!
Elon Calls Zuckerberg ‘Cuck’
The war of words took a sharp turn between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg recently when the former took a jibe at Zuckerberg in a tweet on Sunday writing “Zuck is a Cuck” This comes after the launch of Zuckerberg’s Threads which is a direct rival to Musk’s Twitter. Musk’s latest jibe at Zuckerberg came as a reply of a Threads post by the brand page of Wendy’s. The fast-food chain Wendy’s Thread post tagged Mark while writing “hey @zuck, you should go to space just to really make him mad lol” Zuckerberg replied with a laughing emoji on this post which was later shared on Twitter by a user as a screenshot.
Musk seems to be losing his grip while taking shots at Zuckerberg as he suggested a dick-measuring competition between the two. Yes, you read that right! Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s cheap copy of Twitter has become the fastest-growing app in history clocking in 100 million users in just five days since its release. Ever since the launch of this platform, a war has been waged between the two on social and legal platforms. It will be interesting to see what shape this feud takes in the near future. If you ask me, the sexual tension between the two billionaires is just way too high and they should stop and make out already!
If you haven’t been living under a rock then you’re well aware of the fact that Meta recently launched the Threads platform which is a direct competition to Twitter. The Internet had a field day yesterday when users flocked to the newly launched platform to share their views predominantly on Twitter vs Threads. The newly launched platform saw thirty million users signing up on the first day, which is not a surprise for me as Threads has the benefit of launching under the Instagram brand, it’s borderline nepotism, to say the least. While Threads has already become a definitive platform in the social media circle, Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta.
Twitter threatens legal action against Meta
Twitter’s lawyer Alex Spiro accused Meta of using their company’s trade secrets by ‘hiring dozens of former employees of the blue-bird app’ Elon’s takeover of Twitter resulted in many employees laid off which became talk of the town back in February. Reacting to this latest development, Musk tweeted that he supported good competition but not ‘cheating’. Musk replied to a news article about Twitter’s potential legal action against Meta writing “Competition if fine, cheating is not”
Spiro, who also works as Elon Musk’s personal lawyer has alleged Meta of systematic, willful and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property. Twitter claims that its former employee still had access to its crucial confidential information which was used to build a “copycat” application.
Spiro wrote in a letter, “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information”
On the other hand, Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson, stated in a Threads post that the engineering team at Threads does not consists of any former Twitter employees. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino also took a dig at Meta’s Threads recently saying that Twitter can be imitated, but the Twitter community can never be duplicated.
Threads, the anticipated rival to Twitter developed by Meta, experienced a staggering surge of five million sign-ups within a mere four hours of its inception, as stated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In an endeavour to entice users away from Elon Musk’s beleaguered platform, Threads offers an array of distinctive features, including the opportunity for longer posts, support from prominent celebrities, and an uncanny resemblance to its rival.
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram expedited the app’s launch by 15 hours, propelling it into the public sphere at 7 pm EDT in the United States and midnight in the United Kingdom. Threads became readily available in 100 countries through the Apple and Google app stores, albeit with the exception of the European Union due to prevailing regulatory concerns.
As the curtains were drawn on Threads, notable brands such as Billboard, HBO, NPR, and Netflix promptly established their presence on the platform. Meta proudly announced that initial celebrity supporters included renowned personalities like Shakira and Gordon Ramsay, with unconfirmed reports speculating that influential figures such as Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama had also been approached.
To access the application, users must possess an Instagram account, which serves as the gateway for login. Once registered, users have the option to follow the same accounts they currently engage with on Instagram, assuming those accounts have also migrated to the new app. Visually, Threads bears a striking resemblance to Twitter, although certain terminologies have been altered. Retweets are now labelled as “reposts,” and tweets have been rebranded as “threads.”
Unlike the restrictive 280-character limit imposed on most Twitter users, Threads allows for posts of up to 500 characters. Additionally, the platform accommodates videos lasting up to five minutes, and posts can be shared as links on other social media platforms. Users retain control over their interactions, with the ability to unfollow, block, restrict, or report other individuals. Furthermore, users can customise their experience by filtering out replies containing specific words.
Meta’s launch of Threads materialised amidst a tumultuous period for Twitter, which recently imposed viewing limits on tweets due in part to concerns regarding data collection by companies leveraging artificial intelligence models. In subsequent Threads posts, Zuckerberg addressed these challenges, articulating his belief in the necessity of a public conversations app with a user base surpassing one billion individuals. Acknowledging Twitter’s unfulfilled potential in this regard, he expressed hope that Threads would succeed where its counterpart had fallen short.
Reactions to Threads’ debut on Wednesday spanned the spectrum from cautious appraisal to unbridled enthusiasm, with many lauding its user-friendly interface and some conjecturing that Elon Musk ought to be apprehensive. Observers also highlighted the swiftness with which Threads integrated with Instagram, a testament to Meta’s formidable influence. Ironically, much of the ensuing discourse transpired on Twitter itself, where the hashtag “Threads” trended throughout the evening.
Describing Threads as a “new, distinct arena for real-time updates and public conversations,” Meta aspired to amplify the strengths of Instagram and expand them to include text-based content, fostering an environment that encourages positive and creative expression of ideas. Twitter currently boasts a user base exceeding 250 million, while Instagram reportedly commands a staggering two billion users. The race is on to witness which public conversations app will be the first to surpass the coveted milestone of one billion users.
Twitter has been going through a dramatic meltdown ever since Elon Musk took command of the platform. Just recently, Musk revealed that Twitter will be limiting how many tweets a user sees down to just a thousand for non-paying users. It won’t be wrong to state that Twitter is no longer the platform is used to and the changed leadership has caused more damage than one could’ve initially imagined. Taking advantage of a failing platform, Facebook parent Meta is all set to launch a microblogging app of their own titled – Threads.
Twitter competitor on the way
Threads, Instagram’s text-based conversation application is expected to be released on July 6, 2023. This platform will allow users to follow the same people they follow on the photo and video sharing platform of Instagram along with having the same username. The launch comes merely days after Twitter announced the restrictions on their app.
The application is already live on Apple’s App Store. The description for the same read – “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
while Threads is closely connected to the Instagram platform, it is a standalone application which is an interesting approach, to say the least. There is no definitive information on how the application will operate as of now. However, it looks like users can like, comment, repost, and share posts on it. It will be interesting to see if Meta is able to migrate hardcore Twitter users to their platform. The general consensus about the new Meta platform has been rather underwhelming on Twitter with many users straight up saying they’re not interested in it. One of the tweets I read was something along the line of – “It’s a Meta product, so we won’t use it” which was followed by a good chunk of likes and replies.
