Meta launches Twitter rival Threads; gaining 30 million users in just one day

After weeks of speculations, Meta finally launched its highly-anticipated Twitter rival called Threads on Thursday. The launch proved to be an instant hit, attracting over 10 million users within a matter of seven hours. The impressive user base accounts for slightly over 2% of Twitter’s active user base, showcasing the platform’s rapid growth and early success.

Notable figures and celebrities including celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, as well as influential politicians such as Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were among the early adopters of this new platform.

In his first post on Threads, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote: “Let’s do this. Welcome to Threads,” accompanied by a fire emoji. He also stated that the app had achieved a remarkable milestone of 10 million sign-ups within just seven hours.

In a lighthearted gesture, Zuckerberg further utilized Twitter to humorously acknowledge the rivalry between Meta and Elon Musk, posting a well-known meme featuring Spiderman facing off against another Spiderman. This playful jab playfully alluded to the competition between the two services in a light-hearted manner.

Unlike Twitter, the “text-based conversation app” allows users to create posts of up to 500 characters of text, which may also include picture or video attachments.

Zuckerberg said that Meta’s goal is to provide a “friendly alternative” to Twitter, which has faced various challenges and users’ rage after Elon Musk imposed rate limits on users in what he described as a temporary move that targets “extreme levels of data scraping and system manipulation” by other companies and users.

Threads Privacy Concerns

Given Meta’s poor privacy record, the launch of Threads raises serious privacy concerns. While Threads is witnessing a swift and enthusiastic adoption rate, there are valid concerns regarding the extent of personal data that Meta, the parent company, may have access to as users flock to the platform, questions regarding privacy and data protection have been raised, highlighting the need for transparency and safeguards in place to ensure user information is handled responsibly.

Meanwhile, according to a release, Threads has gained 30 million users in under 24 hours since users gained access to the platform.