Threads is an online social media and social networking service operated by Meta Platforms. The service features integration with Instagram and users must register for Threads with an Instagram account. Functionally it is similar to Twitter: users can post text, images, voice recordings, and videos, as well as interact with other users’ posts through replies, reposts, and likes. The application is available on iOS and Android devices; the web version offers limited functionality and requires a mobile app to be installed first. Upon its launch, Threads became the fastest-growing consumer software application in history, gaining over 100 million users in its first five days and surpassing the record previously set by ChatGPT. This early success was not sustained, and the user base of the app plummeted more than 80% to 8 million daily active users by the end of July 2023.
After Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, Meta employees explored the concept of introducing text-based functionality to Instagram. This feature, known as Instagram Notes, was rolled out in December 2022. The company subsequently began developing a separate app focused on text-based posts. Development on Threads—internally known as “Project 92″—commenced in January 2023, with the platform officially launching on July 5, 2023. Threads immediately became available in 100 countries (out of 193 UN member states), but until December 14, 2023 had delayed its launch in the European Union as it waited for regulatory clarity from the European Commission regarding the service’s data collection policies.
