Editorial: Can Threads sew up Twitter’s social media role?

The logo for Meta's new app Threads, left, and that of Twitter. Threads appears to mimic Twitter — a direct challenge to the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. Photo / AP

The past few days may mark a turning point in the history of social media chat platforms as two tech titans officially lock horns.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder, has launched Threads as a direct alternative to Twitter, owned by Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink.

Ever since Musk bought Twitter last October for US$44 billion (NZ$71 billion) there have been rumblings of discontent among the platform’s regular users, upset at disrupted ways of doing things and a less reliable, more random and often negative experience thanks to spammers and trolls.

There have been attempts to set up other options that might mirror what Twitter used to provide, a more straightforward news feed that was particularly effective during major breaking news events, and a public microblogging square that also catered for wide interests.

The phone app Threads appeals as the first challenger with the business power and social media heft to attract a sizeable base of people and actually make it work.

Zuckerberg has said that a “public conversations app with one billion-plus people on it” is needed. “Twitter hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully, we will.”

Threads is already associated with the popular Instagram app. In its first day Threads became the fasted app to reach 10 million downloads and it has since passed 70 million users.

It is instantly familiar to Twitter in style with its text focus, posts to share and reply to, accounts to follow and the ability to refresh the feed at the top.

At the time of launch, it was not officially available in the European Union or in the form of an app for desktop computers.

Twitter has threatened Meta with legal action claiming former Twitter employees were hired to create the new app. Musk got rid of about half of Twitter’s workforce when he took over. Ironically, people who think standards have fallen under Musk might consider information that ex-Twitter staff are involved in Threads a positive for the new app.

Its start last week was chaotic, with a jumble of random users showing up in people’s timelines. By the weekend it was a bit more organised. So far it lacks the option to run the feed from latest first. Importantly for old-time Twitter users, the blue check on Threads promised to mean what it used to mean on its competitor, that the person or organisation was verified.

Zuckerberg says he wants to keep a “friendly” tone with Threads. If that happens it should attract advertisers turned off being associated with Twitter by all the vitriol. Meta says it will hold Threads users to the same rules as it does on Instagram - a place where people can generally stay in touch with friends and follow famous people in a mostly positive way.

There are challenges. A key factor is how Threads deals with misinformation. Meta isn’t including Threads in its fact-checking approach.

Will people, whatever they say, prefer a quieter and more moderated experience to the combative, noisy and lively Twitter? Will Twitter users be bothered refollowing people on a new app, and does the world need another public chat forum when it is saturated with online content?

A lot of Twitter users will now have a foot in both camps, waiting to see how the battle of the billionaires pans out.