“Threads is not a clone, but an evolution of X (formerly Twitter),” says meta manager

Threads completes one year of existence this Friday (05). After twelve months of its highly anticipated launch, the perception of many is that the platform is becoming more and more similar to X (formerly Twitter). A Meta executive disagrees, also saying that the social network is an “evolution” of Elon Musk’s company.

“We don’t see this as a copy [do X]”It is more of an evolution. The platforms work at different speeds and are years apart. Threads may feel like it is being copied, as it is a public square where conversations take place, but the truth is that its purpose is to connect people and enable good conversations”, assured Felipe Kozlowski, Head of Partnerships with Creators at Meta in Brazil , during an online event with journalists yesterday (04).

The representative of the big tech company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp emphasized that the company is satisfied with the results offered by Threads. The software went live only with the mobile version and reached a record 30 million users in 24 hours.

Kozlowski said the company has been tracking this evolution since July 2023 and believes it is “on the right track.” Threads currently has 175 million monthly users, meaning at least 175 million people have used the app at least once in the past month.

“Creators are creating content, expressing themselves, and growing their audiences on the platform and other places like Instagram, as well as creating new communities,” he argued.

Oscillations and debates

Threads was launched with a lot of expectations, including mine, because I thought it had the potential to destroy Twitter, but after 12 months it’s not uncommon to find someone who thinks the network is “gone.”

There have been fluctuations in the number of users on the platform since July 5, 2023, and even stampedes of people who were curious at first and then left the site have been recorded.

“The decline was natural since we had very few features in the beginning. There was indeed this decline but Threads improved and rose again on the chart. We look for relevance, good updates, improvements in experience, etc. Today [o Threads] There is already a survey, gif, hashtag, which we call tags. So the product has become better,” Kozlowski argued.

The head of Partnerships with Meta Creators in Brazil admitted that Threads still hasn’t had any interaction with X, but argued that was normal. “It takes time to create new habits, and X has been there for a long time,” he said.

Another controversy the young social network has faced has to do with content recommendations. Since it is linked to Facebook and Instagram, many people have received suggestions to move raunchy and erotic content to Threads. A Meta representative admitted that this issue still exists, but that efforts are ongoing to reduce such recommendations.

“We have lightened and reduced a lot [a sugestão de conteúdos sensuais]. But this is a consistent effort as we want to reduce this type of negativity on the platform. Wellbeing is one of our focuses and we are working hard to put an end to this type of thing.

So what is the future of Threads?

Considering that Facebook is 20 years old, the old Twitter is 18, and Instagram is 13, Threads still has a long way to go. Reaching that maturity is also Meta’s intention, at least according to its executives. Felipe Kozlowski has assured that the platform will not be shut down.

One joke users have made is that Threads is a “calmed-down Twitter.” A post from host Luciano Huck initially saying there would be no hate in this space went viral, with many joking that the network could have a “coxinha” profile of sorts. And Meta’s rep doesn’t deny that the intention is precisely to prevent aggression from reaching Treads.

“On purpose [o Threads] “Let’s make it a more open, less toxic environment for conversations on different topics. Threads focuses on providing a well-being and positive experience for users and creators,” he emphasized.

Posted by @lucianohuck

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Speaking about the future, the manager said that the next big thing should be trending topics. This feature, which is important for knowing what people are talking about, is being tested in the United States and is not yet planned to be launched in Brazil.

Speaking about improvement suggestions that aren’t yet on the company’s roadmap, Kozlowski noted that Threads could have monetization, scheduling, and drafting tools in the future.