July opens with some interesting developments. With Twitter continuing down a negative spiral, Meta’s alternative ‘Threads’ app began appearing in some app stores. Twitter currently has viewing restrictions on certain Tweets, making it feel even more constricted. Rather timely, Meta’s ‘Threads’ Twitter alternative appeared in certain regional Google Play Stores yesterday. Originally, the app was ‘Barcelona’, but this is more coherent.
Threads of Fate
To be clear, Meta launched a similarly-named ‘Threads’ app back in 2021, but that was then shuttered. It sounds like a bad move to go with the same name, but maybe Meta does not believe in superstitions. As seen in promo shots by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Threads allows users to port their IG username. This porting capacity opens up DM opportunities on a more public basis. It is basically Twitter but with a touch of Instagram.
Here is the Play Store’s description of the app:
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world.”
Meta has been working on its threads-based platform over the last few months, dating all the way back to April. Meta ‘Threads’ explores the idea of a decentralized social network for sharing text updates. That element of decentralization seems like a lesser consideration now. Instead, Meta’s current focus is on using Instagram’s scale as a springboard to build a viable Twitter alternative. Meta aims to provide a new home for the cast-offs unhappy with Elon Musk’s Twitter changes.
About that, the absurd Musk changes could be reaching a new peak. Twitter is implementing new limits on how many Tweets people can view to try and combat data scrapers. For example, users who follow trending topics (i.e. Ukraine war) are impacted by these new limits. These users could be keen on finding a new conversational home.
To clarify, the new app is still not currently available yet. Right now, the Play Store version of Threads only shows up in very few regions. With that in mind, the sudden, sporadic appearance of the app over the long weekend opens speculations. It could be a glitch or a mistake on the Play Store’s end. It could also be a limited public test by Meta as it moves to the next stage. Either way, a new Twitter alternative could be close.
The Wrap
That could lead to a new battleground for Meta and Twitter, with both CEOs literally and figuratively set to clash. Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg, now that would be a cage match worth seeing. In a ridiculous turn of events, sparked by early discussions about ‘Threads’, the Italian Government was even willing to host the match in the Colosseum of Rome. Italy’s Ministry of Culture denied that claim, but the fight could actually push through. It could all be just a huge publicity stunt, but the premise is hilarious. Regardless of the fight, Meta ‘Threads’ currently tops the list of Twitter alternatives.
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