Meta’s newest social network app, Threads, is off to a great start. The Twitter competitor, which the company officially calls “Threads, an Instagram app,” has raked in 10 million users within hours of launch. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the milestone on Threads.
Threads debuted on Android and iOS earlier today. The social network is also available on the web at threads.net. According to Mark, the platform passed two million signups within the first two hours. By four hours, Threads had raked in five million users. It surpassed the ten million mark seven hours after launch.
This is a great start for Threads. Meta rushed to launch it following the recent developments on Twitter. A few days back, the Elon Musk-owned platform imposed limits on the number of tweets a user can see in a day. New users without a Twitter Blue subscription are only allowed to read 500 tweets in 24 hours.
This move understandably irked a few Twitter users, some of which are looking to bid adieu to the platform and exploring alternatives. Meta wanted to cash on this opportunity, and the rushed launch of Threads seems to have paid off. Had the app been available in the European Union (EU), it may have had a lot more users by now.
The EU privacy laws and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) have blocked Threads in the region because it sucks too much user data. It collects location, contact information, health and fitness information, financial information, search history, browsing history, purchases, and other sensitive information from users. It’s unclear if Meta plans to make necessary changes to the platform and launch it in the EU or if it will skip the market.
Threads and Instagram share user data
Threads may be a Meta app, but the company is launching it under the Instagram division. This is because the two platforms share a lot of things, including user data. You can sign up for Threads using your existing Instagram account. The app will copy your Instagram user name, display name, and display picture. You also have the option to import your bio and link.
Additionally, you can copy your “follow” list, though Threads gives you a lot of flexibility on who you follow and who can follow you. The two platforms use the same block settings, though. If you haven’t yet signed up for Threads but want to try it out, you can download the app from here. Apart from the European countries (excluding the UK), the app is available in most parts of the world.