Instagram’s new social media platform, Threads, briefly went live today for only a couple of hours before going back offline. Threads’ official launch date is slated for June 6th, though some people may have gotten a quick glimpse into what the platform will offer.
Update: The launch date has now been moved up to 7 pm Eastern Today July 5th, 2023.
Meta is launching the app to compete with Twitter, which has been hemorrhaging users in recent years after being taken over by Elon Musk and implementing new restrictions.
Threads is an alternative to Twitter, or at least promises to be, and is said to have similar features. Users will be able to post, repost, like, comment, and more. You’ll be able to connect your Instagram account to Threads and even keep your same username.
For iOS users, the app is already listed in the Apple app store and you can pre-order Threads so it will automatically download once it goes live tomorrow.
The description for the app reads, “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world.”
Sounds promising, right? Some sources, however, are already worried about privacy concerns.
As reported by TechCrunch, Threads is accompanied by “mandatory disclosures required on iOS shows the app may collect highly sensitive information about users in order to profile their digital activity – including health and financial data, precise location, browsing history, contacts, search history, and other sensitive information.” A European launch of Threads may already be prohibited due to a lawsuit that found Meta was violating privacy protections and wasn’t in line with EU regulations.
Even so, during the brief dry run today a select few new users already amassed followers in the thousands. Check back with Cord Cutters News tomorrow as Threads goes live and users weigh in on their experience.