Threads, the new microblogging platform launched by Facebook’s parent company Meta, has already attracted over 100 million registered users within a week of its global release (excluding the EU). Positioned as an alternative to platforms like Twitter, which was acquired by Elon Musk in the previous year, Threads is closely integrated with users’ Instagram accounts. This integration has proven to be instrumental in its rapid growth, as Instagram boasts a massive user base of 2.35 billion monthly active users.
To track the number of users signing up for Threads, Meta introduced temporary “account numbers” on Instagram, indicating the users who have joined the microblogging service. These account numbers are assigned in chronological order, serving as a clear indicator of the service’s popularity. Data from a website monitoring these figures reveals that Threads surpassed the milestone of 100 million users around 12:30 pm IST on Monday.
Despite its impressive growth, Threads still lacks several features commonly found on other microblogging platforms such as Twitter and Mastodon. Notably, it does not currently offer private messaging (DMs) or a functional search feature. However, Meta is actively addressing these limitations by allowing users to sign up for beta versions of the Threads app on Android via the Google Play store. This enables users to test new features before they are officially released to the public.
It is important to note that due to its tight integration with Instagram, deleting a Threads account profile will also result in the deletion of the user’s Instagram account. Recognizing the need for a separate deletion option, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed that the company is working on a solution to allow users to delete their Threads account independently. In the meantime, users have the option to deactivate their Threads account, which hides their profile and posts on the platform.
Rivalry with Twitter and Allegations of Trade Secrets Theft
The remarkable speed at which Threads is amassing new users has reportedly unsettled rival social media platform Twitter. In response, Twitter has allegedly threatened to sue Meta over accusations of stealing trade secrets. Twitter claims that Meta deliberately hired workers who were laid off by Elon Musk after he acquired the platform, and assigned them to work on Threads. Musk himself added fuel to the fire by making derogatory remarks about Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday, suggesting that the success of Threads has caused some unease at Twitter.
While Threads has quickly reached the milestone of 100 million users, the longevity of these users’ engagement on the platform remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Twitter has experienced a drop in its DNS ranking during the first half of this year, as indicated by data shared by Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince on Threads. The screenshot of Twitter’s primary domain’s DNS ranking demonstrates a decline from January to July. Additionally, Twitter currently holds the 184th position on the Cloudflare Radar Top 200 Domains list. This aligns with previous data from SimilarWeb, which reported a decline in Twitter’s traffic since the beginning of the year.
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