Will “Threads” kill “Twitter”? Probably not!

Dubbed the “Twitter Killer”, Mark Zuckerberg's conversation app“Threads” has been overwhelmingly well-receivedby users around the globe. Thirtymillion signed up within the first 24 hoursofits launch, exceeding the target Zuckerberg had in mind.
“70 million sign-ups on Threads as of this morning. Way beyond our expectations,” he wrote in a post to his Threads account on Friday.
Meta's Threads directly competes with Elon Musk's Twitter platform and Musk has accused it of beinga copycat version of the app he bought last year. Zuckerberg repliedthat there should be a public conversation app with 1 billion+ people on it and that Twitter had an opportunity but failed to nail it.
Actually, Zuckerberg has Musk to thank not only for the “inspiration” of the conversation app but also Musk's actionsthat unintentionally reducedTwitter's popularity. Muskrecently incited anger by imposing limits on how many tweets people could read on the app. And anyone with verification status (and who pays) can read more tweets!
Such limitations set Twitter on fire as most of itsusers signed up because of the freedom and unlimited chats as well as the relatively low interference from paid advertising compared to other popular appslike Facebook or Instagram.
The new policy of Twitter betrays fans who have been relyingon the app. In Thailand, it has been a sanctuary for people who rant about everything from the cost of livingandpolitics to football. It also is a relatively reliable source,as most respectednews personalities and media outlets update news and interesting information. With the limitations, one has to ask what good Twitter cando compared to the pre-Musk era.
With Twitter users - around 450 million of them - gutted at the limited read policy,it has been easy fortech companies including Meta to capitalize on the turmoil that has been going on for a few months. But it is Zuckerberg's Threads that hasmade the most of that opportunity and ensured it has an advantage. Threads was almost bound to have a good head-start based on the number of Instagram users – about two billion -- not to mention the depth of Meta's funding.
Tech-savvy punters around the world rushed to sign up to have a taste and feel of Threads and Thais areno exception. Though no official numbers have been revealed, most of the verified Metaaccounts and leading personalities are already there.
Ironically, Facebook users have recentlyranted about the upcoming addition of the coveted blue check mark to their Instagram and Facebook accounts for a monthly fee. In Thailand, the service has not been implemented yet. Itis illogical in a way. The people who happily sign in and brag about their new Threads account are the same group who have just thrown brickbats at Zuckerberg.
Like Twitter, Facebook has failed its loyal users several times and many have migrated to other apps. Its owner Meta has not quite succeeded withnew products - think Snapchat or even the earlier Facebook Pages and others. Time will tell if the new product willbe successful, or whether Meta willfail to retain users because of its policies. To date though, Threads has received mainlypositive feedback from users. Many have found it a friendlier version of Twitter. especially the convenient sign-in that directly links to Instagram.
Still,for Twitter usersandespecially for those influencers, politicians, cheerleaders of political parties, experts in various fieldsand news personalities,Threads may not be the same as Twitter. The world of Instagram - dominated by photos and more recently short videos - is arather different animal for wordy users. In these early days,there will be time to learn and get used to what your Instagram friendsare like on the “new Twitter”.
However, the strength of Threads is also its weakness. Being "similar" to Twitter is its strength but the logic is “Why change if it's too similar?”
Brand loyaltyalso matters and the "new toy" hype may notlast. How many people talk about Clubhouse nowadays? When Clubhouse was launched, all kindsof people joinedand it was talked up as the next big thing.
So for the time being, the instant impact must be the increased screen time afforded to everyone on Threads. For that, we should thank Muskfortrying to limit our tweet reads though it's doubtful he did so to saveour eyesight and giveus quality off-screen time. But it is still far too early to say whether Threads cansuccessfully outplay Twitter.
For now, the most pleasant thing about Threads is that the infancy stage - like the honeymoon period of Facebook and other apps - is free and free of commercials. So, users can have some fun expressing themselves via text and photos.
The “time will tell” cliché is inappropriate in judging whether Threads will kill and replace Twitter. Despite its relatively lower number of fans, it is a rather unique platform. If it is going to take a nose-dive, it will be because of its own policieslike the limited tweet read. Musk suing Zuckerberg is one thing but the real battle is how Musk reacts and proves to Twitter'susers that it is an irreplaceable app. And if he needs anyone to pay, he must demonstrate why it is worthwhile to spend money on Twitter. Threads is not a Twitter Killer in this writer's opinion. If Twitter dies, it will be of its own doing,not from the new competition.
By Veena Thoopkrajae