Meta responds to Twitter disappointment with new app rollout
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With the rise in popularity of competitors like Bluesky and Mastodon since Elon Musk took over Twitter last year, rumors were flying about Meta throwing its hat in the ring and launching a similar social media platform.
And now, Meta has confirmed the veracity of the rumors and said that they would launch the app as soon as possible, which as per reports, could be as early as the end of June.
In a companywide meeting, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox shared several screenshots of the purported app with employees, reported The Verge. Calling it “our response to Twitter,” the app will be closely tied to Instagram, using the photo-sharing app’s account system to populate users’ information. Users will be able to sign up and log in to Threads using their Instagram credentials.
Based on the internal documents from The Verge, the app has been referred to by the name "Project 92," and its public name is rumored to be Threads, which one can assume is based on Twitter threads, through which users provide additional context in a series of tweets.
The app will work with other social media platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky.
The Elon Musk factor
Ever since Musk took over Twitter and made it a private company, many celebrities and prominent figures have left the app. The reasons for their exodus have ranged from less oversight to an increase in hate speech. Elton John left Twitter in December, saying that Twitter is allowing "misinformation to flourish unchecked." Jim Carrey, who had 19 million followers on the app, deactivated his profile as well. Others who followed were Whoopi Goldberg, Shonda Rhimes, Gigi Hadid, and Jameela Jamil.
In a direct jibe at Twitter CEO Elon Musk, Cox said, “We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution.” With a focus on “safety, ease of use, reliability,” Meta wants to make sure that users have a “stable place to build and grow their audiences,” he added.
Meta has been meeting with content creators and public figures ahead of launching the platform. Cox revealed that Meta is in talks with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Dalai Lama, and DJ Slime to convince them to use the app.
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