Meta Apps, the social media platform owned by Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is launching a new feature called Threads on Thursday. Threads are similar to Twitter’s tweets, but with more options to customize the appearance, length and audience of the posts. Users can also reply to threads with their own threads, creating a network of conversations on various topics.
Meta Apps claims that Threads will offer a more engaging and diverse way of sharing opinions, information and stories with other users, as well as a more effective way of reaching out to influencers, celebrities and experts. The feature will also allow users to monetize their threads through ads, subscriptions and tips.
Meta Apps hopes that Threads will attract more users to its platform, especially those who are dissatisfied with Twitter’s policies, algorithms and limitations. The company says that Threads will respect users’ privacy and freedom of expression, and will not censor or manipulate content based on political or commercial interests.
However, some critics have expressed doubts about Meta Apps’ intentions and capabilities. They argue that Threads will only increase the fragmentation and polarization of online communities and that Meta Apps will face the same challenges and controversies as Twitter in terms of moderation, verification and security. They also question whether Meta Apps can compete with Twitter’s established user base and brand recognition.
The launch of Threads is part of Meta’s broader strategy to create a metaverse, a virtual environment where people can interact through various apps and devices. Meta Apps is one of the main pillars of the metaverse, along with Meta VR, Meta Gaming and Meta Commerce. Meta says that the metaverse will be the next frontier of social media and online communication.