Facebook owner Meta to launch Twitter rival on Thursday

Facebook owner Meta is launching its new app to rival Twitter and says it will go live on Thursday.
The app, which is called Threads and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store, will be linked to Instagram.
Screengrabs show a dashboard that looks similar to Twitter. Meta describes Threads as a "text based conversation app".
The move is the latest in a rivalry between Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk.
Last month, the pair agreed to a physical fight, though it is unclear how serious the two men were about actually holding a bout.
"Thank goodness they're so sanely run", Mr Musk responded to a tweet about Threads, in an apparent fresh swipe at Mr Zuckerberg.
Meanwhile, Twitter has said that the popular user dashboard, TweetDeck will go behind a paywall in 30 days time.
The move is the latest push by Mr Musk as he tries to get users to sign up to Twitter's subscription service, Twitter Blue.
On Saturday, the multi-billionaire restricted the number of tweets users could see, citing extreme "data scraping".
It appears from Meta's Threads app that it will be a free service – and there will be no restrictions on how many posts a user can see.
"Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow" the description on the App Store says.
Pictures show screengrabs from the app, that look almost identical to Twitter.
It being a Meta app, Threads will also hoover up data on your phone, including location data, purchases and browsing history.
Several apps that bear a striking resemblance to Twitter have sprung up in recent years – such as Donald Trump's Truth Social and Mastodon.
Another similar app, Bluesky claimed to have seen "record" traffic after Mr Musk's move to restrict usage at the weekend.
However, Threads could be the biggest threat faced by Twitter to date.
Mark Zuckerberg has a history of borrowing other company's ideas – and making them work.
Meta's Reels is widely seen as a TikTok copy, while Stories looks similar to Snapchat.
Meta has the resources to compete with Twitter. Threads will be part of the Instagram platform, so it will also be connected to hundreds of millions of accounts. It's not starting from zero, as other would-be rivals have had to do.
Although Mr Musk has been praised in some quarters for his commitment to free speech, he has also alienated some users.
Mr Zuckerberg will hope he can pull enough disenchanted users away from Twitter to create a genuine alternative.
Why is Twitter limiting how many tweets you can see?
Confusion at Twitter continues over tweet limits
Tesla sees record deliveries after price cuts
Meta launches $7.99 a month virtual reality service
Musk and Zuckerberg agree to hold cage fight
Israeli military launches major operation in Jenin
Watch: Explosions and gunfire as BBC reports from Jenin. VideoWatch: Explosions and gunfire as BBC reports from Jenin
Activist fears for UK safety over Hong Kong bounty
France's banlieues – the bleak estates up in flames again
Mystery of Holocaust escape girls finally solved
The lethal minefields holding up Ukraine’s counter-offensive
Blackpink make history with K-pop festival set
Why Australia is funding an empty detention centre
The AI trained to recognise waste for recycling
The truth about the most iconic French 'vice' VideoThe truth about the most iconic French 'vice'
Tabloid hacking: What did the bosses know?
One family’s fight to put a price on racism
The darker side of Disney songs
How a photo changed our view of chimps
What professional women often sacrifice
© 2023 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

source