‘Threads’ by Instagram, Meta’s Twitter clone, is set to commence presenting Twitter with its first serious threat since Elon Musk took over the firm in October.
Threads is expected to be released on Thursday and will allow users to retain followers from photo-sharing platform Instagram, and keep the same username.
A number of smaller rivals have challenged Twitter since Elon Musk acquired it, but none have been able to match Twitter’s scale.
The launch is a direct challenge to Twitter, which has been embroiled in multiple problems since Musk purchased the company for $44 billion in 2022.
Last week, the Tesla billionaire unveiled a slew of new limits on the app, including a cap on the number of tweets users could view every day, sparking outrage from many users.
More recently, the company’s short-form video feature “Reels” has sought to challenge the rise of TikTok.
The launch of Threads represents a credible threat to Twitter under Musk, according to analysts.
Concerned about a perceived increase in dangerous content on the platform, hundreds of advertisers suspended spending with Twitter, and internal papers revealed that the platform’s most active users were getting alienated.