Like a back-to-school feeling. On this Thursday, December 14, replace school bags and notebooks with followers and account synchronization, and the stage is set. The launch of Threads, the new baby of the Meta group, has been official in France since midday. Presented as Instagram’s written application, Threads saw 30 million accounts land when it was launched in the United States last summer. We launched this new social network for you, and we try to tell you everything right here.
An additional social network… For Instagram users
With this new space, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta wants to compete with Elon Musk’s X, which is losing momentum. To create an account, all you need to do is already have an Instagram account. By keeping the same password, the application allows you to follow the same people on Threads. You can also upload your Instagram bio and choose to opt for a public or private profile.
Don’t panic if you’re not on Instagram. It is also possible to access the network without a profile. In this case, users will be able to “browse Threads app content, search for accounts, share content via link copying or platform sharing, and report Threads content,” without being able to interact.
By registering on Threads, known accounts keep their certification. As on X, we are invited to scroll. A stream of captioned photos and videos appears. A large part is left to text with a post limit set at 500 characters, compared to 280 on X (except for paid accounts).
Threads VS Twitter: the game of differences
Strangers, media, institutions and even a few members of the government arrive on the social network on this first day of use. ” Good morning ! 👋 What would you like a minister to offer you on Threads? », Threaded government spokesperson Olivier Véran. Regulars of X will not be disoriented but there are some differences. On Threads, it is also possible to select a news feed with only the people followed, and another calculated by the application with our preferences. Simply, the display differs: on X, you can exchange the two wires at the very top of the page. On Threads, this will be via an option at the bottom left of the thread.
Another particularity, as indicated by our colleagues from BFM TV : this new social network does not allow you to send private messages. But nothing too annoying, since you can go to Instagram to do it. Otherwise, as on X, publications can be accompanied by hashtags. Unlike X, it will only be possible to put one.
A specific moderation policy
The head of Instagram Adam Mosseri assured: Threads wants to pull out all the stops to moderate the content of its users. American media report that the new social network plans to call on partners to set up a specific program announced next year. Its mission will be to define and carry out content moderation. For now, Threads’ current system takes over the moderation requirements of Facebook and Instagram.
In October, when announcing Meta’s financial results, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads claimed nearly 100 million active users since its launch last July, as explained 01Net. “I am very happy with this trajectory,” explained the founder of Facebook, who is therefore setting out to conquer Europe with this new concept of “microblogging”.