Threads: everything you need to know about the social network of Meta, competitor of X, which arrives in France this Thursday

Ophélie Artaud 13:05 p.m., December 14, 2023

Launched on July 5 in many countries, the Threads application arrives this Thursday in Europe and France. Since noon, it has been possible to create an account on the social network of the Meta group, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, owned by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg. An app that already has more than 100 million users worldwide, and which has presented itself as the main competitor of X (formerly Twitter) under fire since its acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk last year. Here's everything you need to know about launching Threads.

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What does the platform look like?

Visually, Threads is very close to X, and presents itself as a "microblogging" platform. The app contains a news feed with messages, and the ability to "like" or comment. But unlike X, users can post messages of up to 500 characters (compared to 280 for X in its free version).

It is in the content that Threads could stand out, especially through the platform's desire to counter false information. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, assured that the group is "currently working on expanding fact-checking programs on Threads", with implementation planned for 2024. "Our goal is for our fact-checking partners to be able to review and evaluate false information on the app," he wrote on the social network.

Why was Threads previously inaccessible in Europe?

Until now, Threads has not been available in the European Union, while the app has been available in many other countries around the world. At issue: the fact that the social network did not comply with the EU's personal data collection rules.

Will it compete with X?

While Threads is already used by more than 100 million users, the app is still far behind X, which has 220 million. With its moderation rules that could attract users, Threads presents itself as a strong competitor. Especially since X has lost a lot of ground and advertisers since its takeover by Elon Musk. The platform is also often singled out, due to the hate speech or false information that abounds on it, without moderation.

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Some political figures are already starting to join Threads: this is the case of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, whose account was created at the end of November, at the same time as that of Jill Biden, the American first lady, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the White House.

It remains to be seen if all this is not just an announcement effect: according to a study in August, Threads has lost 79% of its daily active users one month after its launch.