Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, 2nd person to join threads, claimed that the company’s new Threads app “is not going to do anything to encourage” politics and “hard news.”
Politics and hard news expose people to more scrutiny, hostility, and integrity issues, which are not worth the “incremental engagement or revenue,” according to Mosseri. Without including politics or serious news, there are more than enough fantastic communities — including those in sports, music, fashion, beauty, and entertainment — to create a thriving platform. (Mosseri’s strong stance on this issue is probably influenced by his tenure as the manager of Facebook’s News Feed.)
Meta has retreated from news and politics in recent years, particularly by limiting the amount of political information that people view on Facebook. Even last year, the word “News” was removed from the name of the Facebook Feed. The firm also said that it will pull news from Facebook and Instagram in the nation in response to a new rule in Canada that would force it to pay for local news.
2nd person to join threads: The goal isn’t to replace Twitter
Later on, the Instagram CEO and 2nd person to join threads elaborated on his earlier statement, saying that although Threads won’t “discourage or down-rank news or politics,” it also won’t “court” them like Facebook did in the past. In the early 2010s, on Facebook, “If we are honest, we were too quick to promise too much to the industry, and it would be a mistake to repeat that,” Mosseri added.
While Twitter, a platform that is tangled up under changing ownership, is undoubtedly the target of Threads, Mosseri, 2nd person to join threads, is reportedly considering far greater things. Mosseri echoed his boss Mark Zuckerberg’s remarks on discovering a “clear path to 1 billion people,” saying:
The goal isn’t to replace Twitter. The goal is to create a public square for communities on Instagram that never really embraced Twitter and for communities on Twitter (and other platforms) that are interested in a less angry place for conversations, but not all of Twitter.
Wednesday saw the introduction of Threads, which has amassed more than 70 million signups so far. However, the feeling is still very different from what you may be used to from Twitter because there is currently only one algorithmic feed that is already overrun with businesses and celebrities.
Nevertheless, it seems certain that politics and news will somehow find their way into Threads, particularly if public figures and media figures utilize the site during the 2024 presidential election season. Additionally, Instagram is developing a chronological feed and a feed only for individuals you follow, which, at least for me, could make Threads a much more helpful location to get news.
Twitter vs. Threads: Differences?
Meta reports a 500-character limit for Threads users. Unverified Twitter users have 280 characters. Verified Instagram accounts can keep their Threads blue badges. Twitter costs $8 per month for this capability. Customers can increase their 25,000-character limit with the purchase. Meta has not provided this option.
- Threads require Instagram. When creating a profile, the app lets you import bio-data and followers from Instagram. Threads will profit from Instagram’s large user base.
- Threads allow five-minute movies from unverified users. Twitter users without the blue badge can post 2-minute, 20-second clips.
- Twitter’s homepage lets users browse trending topics and other topics. Threads may only be browsed from the home feed.
- Threads’ Wednesday launch didn’t appear to allow draft postings, unlike Twitter.
- Threading feels different too. According to internet screenshots of the two apps, users must hit enter three times to start a thread. Twitter’s + symbol works.
- According to screenshots, the new product does not allow users to view other accounts’ likes like Twitter does in a separate tab.
- Threads will follow Instagram’s content restrictions and allow the blocking and muting of hostile individuals.
- According to Meta’s vice president of product, Connor Hayes, Threads’ ActivityPub social-networking protocol makes it appealing. This suggests that Threads users who increase their followings may soon be able to connect with a bigger audience outside of Instagram.
Finally, Threads is ad-free. Bloomberg thinks this was done to boost product interest.
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Featured image credit: Threads
