Threads Surges to 100 Million Users as Twitter's Traffic Slows Down

Data monitoring websites report that Meta's Threads app has amassed over 100 million users in less than five days, a stunning achievement for the new social media platform.

Thread's latest feat breaks the previous record for the fastest-growing consumer app, held by the AI tool ChatGPT, according to ABS-CBN News. The popular video-sharing network TikTok reached the 100 million user mark in nine months, while ChatGPT took two months. Instagram itself, which launched in 2010, took 2.5 years longer to achieve the same user figure.

Last week, Threads made its debut on Apple and Android app stores in 100 different countries, except Europe, where parent firm Meta is having trouble negotiating the data protection laws of the European Union.

Executives at Meta, such as Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, are praising Threads as a more uplifting "public square" that appeals to demographics that have not yet embraced Twitter. Positive first-user feedback suggests that the new app is off to a solid start.

Twitter's Traffic Tanks

In a message on social media, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg voiced his surprise at Threads' quick rise, writing, "Threads hit 100 million sign-ups over the weekend." He also underscored that a large part of the growth was "organic" as the new platform has not undergone deals. "I can't believe just five days have passed, Zuckerberg stated.

Twitter seems to be declining, whereas Threads is gaining popularity. A screenshot shared on Twitter by Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince revealed a sharp decline in website traffic.

The first two days when Threads were publicly accessible saw a 5% drop in Twitter's website traffic compared to the prior week, claims Similarweb, a provider of web analytics data. In addition, according to the business, Twitter's website traffic dropped 11% from the same time in 2022.

Musk-Zuckerberg Rivalry Further Intensifies

Twitter and SpaceX founder Elon Musk have previously expressed worry over Threads' influence on their platforms. In a letter, Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro accused Meta of "unlawful misappropriation" of trade secrets, per CNBC.

Over the weekend, Musk and Zuckerberg got into a verbal spat in which Musk mocked Zuckerberg's tweeting technique, and Zuckerberg responded by calling Musk a nasty name.

With Musk proposing a "literal dick-measuring contest" between the two billionaires, Musk and Zuckerberg's feud seems to be becoming more intense in response to Zuckerberg's introduction of Threads. Musk reportedly suggested a mixed martial arts match, heightening the enmity between him and Zuckerberg, according to The Guardian.

Twitter is facing further difficulties as Threads gains ground. Despite having almost 200 million daily users, Twitter has seen technological problems ever since Musk bought the site and made major adjustments.

The rise of Threads as a prospective rival threatens Twitter's hegemony, particularly if it can hold onto its rapidly expanding user base. To keep its place in the social media scene, Twitter, which had roughly 238 million monetizable daily active users as of last summer, will need to fix its problems and remain one step ahead of the competition.