In the fast-paced world of microblogging, where concise thoughts and trending topics reign supreme, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s creation, Threads, was initially hailed as the next big thing. Dubbed Instagram’s “Twitter Killer,” it burst onto the scene with all the pomp and promise you’d expect from the tech giant. But the current landscape tells a different story.
Threads, a platform that closely mirrors the once-reigning Twitter, now rebranded as X, celebrated an explosive start. Within just five days of its July launch, it amassed a staggering 100 million sign-ups—a feat that left many in awe. However, as we approach the two-month mark since its grand entrance, the shine seems to be wearing off, casting doubt on Zuckerberg’s ambitions to steal Twitter’s thunder.
Even notable news outlets like NBC couldn’t ignore the struggles Threads is currently facing, admitting on August 24th that the platform is “struggling for traction.” But what’s causing this sudden drop in momentum?
An analysis of Android users by Similarweb, a reputable digital data and analytics company, offers some insights. They estimated that daily active users on Threads’ Android app peaked at 49.3 million in early July, only to plummet to 10.3 million just a month later—an astonishing 80% decrease. A week after its July 5th launch, daily active Threads users reached approximately 26.7 million, only to gradually decline to 13.5 million by month’s end.
Even some of the early celebrity adopters, like Jennifer Lopez and Tom Brady, have fallen silent since the launch week. MrBeast, the YouTube sensation who became the first user to hit 1 million followers on Threads, also stopped posting about a month ago. It’s a concerning trend for a platform that aimed to revolutionize microblogging.
Conservatives, in particular, have their theories about Threads’ underwhelming start. While Twitter has opened its doors to free speech, Threads appears to be governed by strict content moderation and politically motivated censorship. Allum Bokhari, a senior technology reporter at Breitbart News and author of “Deleted: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase a Movement and Subvert Democracy,” shares his perspective.
According to Bokhari, Threads failed to attract subversive content. It was marketed as the polite, politically correct alternative to Elon Musk’s X. However, when your platform’s main selling point is inoffensiveness, it’s no surprise that users may quickly grow disinterested. In contrast, X has embraced edgier, dissident content—a move that has endeared it to its user base.
In the ever-evolving world of microblogging, it seems that being too polite might not be a winning strategy. The battle for dominance between Threads and X continues to unfold, and only time will tell which platform will emerge victorious.