Threads begins testing integration with ActivityPub (Mastodon)

Meta has begun testing Threads integration with ActivityPub, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. In practice this would allow Posts in threads may be displayed on platforms such as Mastodon. and other networks compatible with the open and decentralized social network protocol.

“Making Threads compatible will give people more ways to interact and help content reach more people,” Zuckerberg said in his profile. “I’m very optimistic”” he added, without going into detail about how the integration would work.

ActivityPub is an open social networking protocol created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the body responsible for the open standards that underpin the modern web. Besides Mastodon, WordPress and Pixelfed also support this protocol.

Meta already announced during the launch of Threads last July its intention to integrate it into ActivitiPub. “We were unable to complete it in time for launch due to a number of complications that come with a decentralized network,” he said at the time. Adam Mosseri, Director of Instagram. Mosseri said decentralization of the new Meta platform, originally known as Twitter or Instagram, is key to attracting a new generation of creators.

Meta said in July that the integration would allow users to use Threads and move their content to another service at any time. The statement says it’s a way to “give you more control” over your audience. “The beginning of a new era of diverse and interconnected networks.”

Threads integration with Mastodon

In August, Threads launched a method for users to verify their Mastodon profile. The company has added links rel=i, a way to establish a connection between two accounts by pointing to each other. This was not a decentralization feature, but it was a sign that Meta was serious about its plan.

Jessie Chen, Meta’s CTO, explained that a simple way to understand the fediveverse is the dynamics of emails. If you have a Gmail account, you can do more than just send messages to users on the same platform. You can also send emails to Hotmail, Yahoo and other similar services.

“That’s because email is compatible… Our goal with Threads is to make social content as compatible as email,” Chen explained on the Meta blog last September. “Once that happens, people will be able to experience the best features of Threads across all platforms,” he said.

Thus, Threads will become the largest open social network. Five days after launch, Threads surpassed its first 100 million users, setting the record for the fastest-growing app. At the moment, according to Edge, The test appears to only take into account some aspects of a truly federated social network. At this point, I wouldn’t consider posting from Mastodon to Threads, for example, or moving accounts between services.