Meta - Short message service threads in the EU
The short messaging service Threads from the Facebook group Meta has now also been launched in the EU. The service is an alternative to Elon Musk's online platform X (formerly Twitter). Threads is based on Meta's photo and video platform Instagram. This means that Instagram login details can be used to log in to Threads. You can also use the service without a profile - but then you cannot create your own posts or interact with other users' posts.
Strong competition for X?
Meta left out the EU when Threads was launched in July. The company justified this with legal uncertainties with regard to "new digital laws". According to observers, this referred to the dual package of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Since Musk bought the short message service Twitter and renamed it X, market researchers have reported that the online platform's user numbers are falling and major advertisers are pulling out. Several competitors see an opportunity to build on Twitter's former importance with alternatives. Threads is seen as a particularly strong candidate because the service builds on existing links between hundreds of millions of already connected users.
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- Despite the fall in user numbers and advertisers leaving, Elon Musk's rebranded short message service X (formerly Twitter) faces strong competition, such as Meta's Threads.
- Meta's Threads, an alternative to X, is based on its photo and video platform Instagram, allowing users to log in with Instagram credentials.
- Unlike other users, those without a Threads profile can still use the service, but they won't be able to post or interact with other users' posts.
- The EU launch of Threads was delayed due to legal uncertainties surrounding "new digital laws," particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
- Mastodon, another microblogging platform, has also gained popularity as an X alternative, attracting users seeking a decentralized social media option.
- Some European users are skeptical about using Threads, as they prefer to adhere to the "microblogging" principles of brief, immediate messages, like on the original Twitter.
- Meta's Threads has the advantage of building on existing links between Instagram's hundreds of millions of users, potentially making it a formidable opponent to X.
- The European Union (EU) is keen to regulate digital platforms like Threads and X to protect user privacy and combat online hate speech and disinformation.
- In response to these regulations, US-based tech companies like Meta are investing in new technologies like short news services and advancements in hologram telephony, aiming to bolster their presence in the EU market.
Source: www.stern.de
