Meta’s Instagram has launched Threads, an innovative app designed for text-based sharing, broadening the scope of communication beyond photo and video sharing.

The app, which is set to become a rival of Twitter, offers a separate platform for real-time updates and public dialogues. Threads, in line with Instagram’s vision, promises a positive, creative space for idea expression. Moreover, it plans to integrate compatibility with ActivityPub, an open social networking protocol developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Getting started with Threads is simple; users can log in using their Instagram accounts. Customizing the profile for Threads is also an option. Notably, those under 16 (or 18 in some countries) will default to a private profile. Threads users can follow similar accounts as on Instagram and explore further connections with shared interests. The platform retains Instagram’s core accessibility features, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions.

The Threads feed displays threads from followed accounts, as well as recommended content from undiscovered creators. Posts can contain links, photos, videos, and text up to 500 characters long. Users can share these posts on their Instagram story or as a link on any other chosen platform.

Threads prioritize positive, productive discussions. Users can control mentions and replies, filter out specific words, and have the power to unfollow, block, restrict or report profiles. Safety is a crucial factor; the platform will adhere to Instagram’s Community Guidelines on content and interactions.

A significant future plan involves making Threads compatible with ActivityPub, enabling interoperability with other supporting apps, such as Mastodon and WordPress. This compatibility would allow for connections currently not feasible on most social apps. Tumblr is another platform that has declared intentions to support the ActivityPub protocol.

Threads aims to give users control over their audience. The plan includes working with ActivityPub to allow users to switch services while transferring their content. Threads’ vision is to enable interactions between people using compatible apps without the necessity of a Threads account. This opens the door to reaching new people without extra effort, depending on the user’s profile settings.

Open social networking protocols like ActivityPub offer significant potential, such as enabling developers to build new features and user experiences that integrate seamlessly with other open social networks. Each compatible app can set its unique community standards and content moderation policies, giving users the freedom to select spaces that align with their values.

Threads is available in over 100 countries for iOS and Android. The company aims to add several new features soon to enhance content discovery and facilitate real-time tracking of topics and trends. As the first Meta app envisioned to be compatible with an open social networking protocol, Threads could potentially revolutionize the way users find their community, irrespective of the app in use.

  Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Threads, Twitter