In a remarkable achievement, the Threads app launched by Instagram to compete with Twitter has attracted an astonishing 100 million users in less than five days, surpassing the previous record set by AI tool ChatGPT as the fastest-growing consumer app. This milestone signifies a significant triumph for Instagram, as it took them a staggering two and a half years to reach the same user mark following its launch in 2010.
Threads was made available for download on both Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries late last Wednesday, instantly garnering a massive user base. However, European users have been unable to access the app due to Meta, Instagram’s parent company, grappling with the intricacies of navigating the European Union’s stringent data privacy legislation.
At present, Twitter boasts approximately 200 million regular users. Nevertheless, since its acquisition by Elon Musk last year, the platform has been plagued by recurrent technical glitches and staff layoffs. Additionally, Musk’s controversial decision to introduce charges for previously free services and reinstate banned right-wing accounts has further alienated many users.
While several competitors have emerged in an attempt to challenge Twitter’s dominance, most of these platforms remain niche players without the potential for rapid growth at the scale necessary to overthrow Twitter’s prominence. Threads, on the other hand, benefits from its association with Instagram, which already boasts an impressive user base of over one billion regular users.
According to the online data service Quiver Quantitative, Threads crossed the 100 million user mark at 0700 GMT on Monday. Other websites, using a count of the “badges” received by Instagram users who have downloaded Threads, suggest that the milestone was achieved even earlier.
Meanwhile, tensions between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, have intensified. Musk has threatened to sue Meta for alleged theft of trade secrets and intellectual property. However, Meta has denied these claims and reaffirmed its ownership of Facebook and WhatsApp in addition to Instagram. The rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg reached an unusual peak when the two exchanged challenges for a public “cage fight.”
With its unprecedented growth rate, Threads has firmly positioned itself as a formidable competitor to Twitter. As the battle for dominance in the social media landscape continues, the industry eagerly awaits the next move from these tech giants.
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