Threads Hits Lull After Thunderous Opening Week

August 01, 2023

Threads, Meta‘s new text based app released in early July as a Twitter alternative, is now seeing a dip in activity. Sign ups for the platform surged immediately upon its wide release, hitting over 100 million users. Now, a BBC report calculates that the platform has now lost over half of its users.

In a Meta-wide company call in which a Reuters reporter was present, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg detailed the status of the Instagram extension app. “If you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We’re not there yet,” said Zuckerberg. The CEO went on to describe the phenomenon as “normal.”

ANKARA, TURKIYE - JULY 30: In this photo illustration, the logos of various social media apps including 'X' (formerly known as Twitter) are displayed on a phone screen in Ankara, Turkiye on July 30, 2023.

Threads faced initial criticisms from users for its limited features. There is no desktop version of the app available, no direct messaging feature, and no bookmarks or past likes tab. Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox stated that the team would be adding more “retention-driving hooks” in an attempt to retain usership.

Social Media Reactions To Threads

Several celebrities, notably pop singer Doja Cat, have already vacated the platform. On Twitter, which is currently undergoing a rebrand as “X” under Elon Musk and Linda Yaccharino’s leadership, many assert that Twitter still maintains the best features when compared to competitor text-based platforms.

Yeah let me go ahead and delete threads… she was a chop

— Mistress Isabelle Brooks (@MistressIBrooks) July 31, 2023

Others criticized Meta’s move to force users into deleting their Instagram accounts in order to fully delete their Treads accounts.

ill warn u now, there's no deleting unless you wanna yeet instagram along with it.

— machine gun kelly kapowski (@jamiefrickengib) July 31, 2023

Some are attempting to stick with Threads amid the ongoing controversial business decisions from Twitter. In the months since Musk’s purchase of the platform, he eradicated legacy verification, loosened censorship of hate speech and explicit content, and has now rebranded away from the site’s iconic blue bird logo.

I keep thinking the X notifications are from threads because.. still not used to this yet pic.twitter.com/oiuurPts7s

— iJustine (@ijustine) August 1, 2023

Others joked that the argument to leave Twitter because of Elon Musk’s billionaire status was unnecessary, as Mark Zuckerberg of Meta is also a tech billionaire.

people fleeing twitter for threads/instagram to escape the billionaire is like that scene in shrek 2 where people run from one starbucks to another across the street

— Mario (@MarioGraciotti) August 1, 2023

The X Files

The Threads update comes after one of the first serious lawsuits involving Twitter. Musk is suing the Center For Countering Digital Hate, claiming that the site’s watchdog reports cost Twitter millions in advertising revenue. Twitter “X” users are at the edge of their seats on the case, as it could set a new precedent for censorship in the digital world.

They told the truth about the hate, so let's sue. That's so Elon.

— Extectic (@extectic) August 1, 2023

Musk has not addressed the updated Threads dip in users at this time. The tech tycoon previously challenged Zuckerberg to a fight over their now competing platforms, and served Meta a lawsuit regarding copyright claims on the site’s design.