TechnologyAnalysis

Threads plays on its key advantage as it seeks to steal X’s clothes

Meta-owned alternative to Elon Musk-owned X has just launched for EU users

With Threads, Meta is trying to tap into increasing disenchantment with X. Photograph: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

Ciara O'Brien's face
Ciara O'Brien
Thu Dec 14 2023 - 17:17

Just over five months after Meta’s Threads social networking platform was launched globally, Irish users can finally access the service.

At 11am on Thursday, Threads officially opened to users in the EU. Shortly afterwards, the notifications began as one by one, people logged on to Instagram and activated their Threads accounts.

Meta is trying to tap into the increasing disenchantment with X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, under owner Elon Musk. As it becomes increasingly hostile for many users, there is an opportunity for Meta to step into the breach.

Other rivals have emerged. Mastodon has scooped up some of Irish Twitter, while Bluesky still operates as an invitation-only platform.

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But Threads has one significant advantage: Instagram. When you sign up to Threads, you can automatically follow everyone on your Instagram account who is already using the service. In addition to that, you can pre-emptively follow people who are on Instagram but have yet to make the move to Threads; as soon as they sign up – assuming that they do eventually – then you will automatically follow their account.

Its look and feel is familiar to users of both Instagram and Twitter. The verified accounts from Instagram have also migrated over to Threads, making it easy for users to find genuine accounts to follow.

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The service has certainly developed since its initial launch. Threads was a bare bones service in the early days, but it has since had some basic features added. You can now filter your feed to only those you are following, though there is a separate “for you” feed that suggests accounts that you can follow.

One thing you won’t see on Threads – at least for now – is advertising. Meta has yet to monetise the service, though it is inevitable that once the user numbers reach the appropriate mass, the company will cash in. In the meantime, the only ads you are likely to see are the #sponcon that influencers are posting on the platform.

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