The Story

A new social media app could lead to Twitter’s unraveling.

I figured this wasn’t about eyebrows...

Yup. Here’s the stitch, err, sitch: Last week, Meta hard launched the new app, which many are calling a Twitter dupe. Some common threads include the ability to share photos, videos, and text-based posts, which other users can like, repost, or reply to. But unlike Twitter, there’s no way to order your feed chronologically. And it doesn’t have DMs, hashtags, the ability to search posts, or a desktop version, at least for now. Still, in just under 48 hours, more than 70 million users flocked to the app — making it the most rapidly downloaded app ever. Which is why some are calling it a “Twitter killer.”

Haven’t we heard this before?

True. It’s not the first app trying to rival Twitter (see: Mastodon, Bluesky). But since it’s backed by Meta, Threads has access to its massive user base, including more than 2 billion active IG users worldwide, who can directly import their profile info and followers. That makes it very easy to get started — and it might explain the app’s impressive momentum. (For comparison, Bluesky reportedly just hit the 1 million mark.) It might also explain why Twitter was so quick to threaten a lawsuit, accusing Meta of hiring former employees with access to its trade secrets and intellectual property — all of which Meta dismissed as “not a thing.” Plus, it comes as Twitter’s own turmoil continues: Ever since Musk purchased Twitter, it’s been riddled with challenges, like glitches, erratic decisions (most recently, imposing limits on the number of Tweets people can read), and a reported nearly 60% drop in advertising spending.

theSkimm

While other apps have tried to replace Twitter, many former users are still looking for a place to land. Threads could be the most promising, but it’ll have to overcome concerns surrounding its parent company, like data privacy and financial stability. TBD if it’ll eventually leave Twitter hanging by, well, a thread.