Threads, the newly launched social media platform by Meta has reached 100 million sign-ups since its launch five days ago, according to Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg says that sign-ups have been via "mostly organic demands." Threads, which is touted to be a rival of Elon Musk’s Twitter, was launched on July 6. Threads is an app that is built by Meta’s Instagram team for sharing text.
"Threads reached 100 million sign-ups over the weekend. That’s mostly organic demand and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet. Can’t believe it’s only been 5 days," says Zuckerberg's blog post on Threads.
Analysts reportedly estimate that Threads can contribute a whopping $8 billion to Meta’s revenue in the next two years. The newly launched social media platform will also reportedly add 200 million daily active users, as per analysts. In the January to March quarter of CY23, the company posted revenue of $28.65 billion, up 3%, as against $27.9 billion in the same period last year. In CY22, the company’s revenue from operations stood at $117 billion, with more than 3 billion active users across its apps.
The development comes amidst reports of Twitter users being unhappy with the “radical” changes incorporated by the social media platform since Musk’s takeover in October last year.
Like Twitter, Threads allows long-form text and users can post up to 500 characters. It also has many similar features to Twitter, including the follow option, like, replies, and reposts. The social media platform is currently available in 100 countries including India and the UK. However, the app has not been yet launched in Europe, owing to regulatory reasons.
"Your feed on Threads includes threads posted by people you follow, and recommended content from new creators you haven’t discovered yet. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. You can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose," the company said earlier.
According to the company, with Threads, Meta aims to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express ideas. "Just like on Instagram, with Threads, you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond. And you can use our existing suite of safety and user controls."
Though Threads is a separate app, the company is allowing users to log in on it via their Instagram account. "Your Instagram username and verification will carry over, with the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads."
The company says everyone, who is under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries), will be defaulted into a "private profile" when they join Threads. Users will also be able to follow the same accounts they do on Instagram.
