Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, is reportedly making preparations to bring its branded content tools to Threads, according to a source familiar with the matter as reported by Axios. These tools are aimed at facilitating collaboration between marketers and influencers for paid partnerships on the social media platform, especially when regular advertising is not available. When approached for comment, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request.
This development comes as Threads, often viewed as a competitor to Elon Musk’s Twitter, reached a milestone of 100 million users within a record-breaking five days. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously stated that the company would only consider monetizing Threads once it reaches a billion users, emphasizing the need for a clear path to growth.
Instagram’s integration allows users to seamlessly transfer their accounts, credentials, and followers to Threads, thereby providing the text-based platform access to Instagram’s extensive user base of over 2 billion individuals. Despite the absence of advertising on Threads, several companies have already started establishing organic accounts to share content. However, the platform’s limitations, such as the lack of hashtags and keyword search functions, may limit its appeal to advertisers.
In a potentially brewing legal dispute between social media giants, Twitter has accused Meta Platforms of stealing trade secrets to develop its new microblogging site, Threads. While this claim by Twitter may mark the beginning of a legal battle, legal experts suggest that Twitter faces significant obstacles if it decides to sue Meta Platforms.
Twitter sent a letter on Wednesday alleging that Meta had utilized its trade secrets to create Threads and demanded that Meta cease using the information. Twitter further claimed that Meta had hired numerous former Twitter employees, many of whom had “improperly retained” devices and documents from Twitter. Twitter also accused Meta of intentionally assigning these individuals to work on Threads.
It remains uncertain whether Twitter intends to file a lawsuit in response to these allegations. As of now, Twitter’s spokesperson has not responded to requests for comment. On the other hand, Meta’s spokesperson, Andy Stone, stated in a Threads post on Thursday that none of the engineers involved in the development of the site were former Twitter employees, refuting Twitter’s claims.
In summary, Instagram’s plan to introduce branded content tools to Threads aims to enhance collaboration between marketers and influencers on the platform. While Threads continues to gain popularity, reaching 100 million users in a short span, the absence of advertising options and certain limitations may affect its appeal to advertisers. Meanwhile, the dispute between Twitter and Meta Platforms over alleged trade secret theft could potentially lead to a legal battle, although Twitter faces significant challenges in pursuing such a course of action.
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