Here’s what we know about Meta’s planned Twitter competitor that has Elon Musk upset

For months, Meta has been engaged on a Twitter-like, text-based social media community that will compete with Twitter and the bevy of clone apps which have gained prominence since Elon Musk took Twitter personal in 2022. News of the plans have impressed a public spat between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, culminating in a joking problem to interact in a bodily “cage match” battle in Las Vegas.

Meta beforehand confirmed to CNBC that it was “exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates,” however did not supply additional particulars on the character or title of the app.

Meta enjoys a big benefit over upstart opponents like BlueSky or Mastodon, given what number of customers are already built-in into Facebook and Instagram. It additionally enjoys longstanding relationships with manufacturers and advertisers which might present income at launch.

But given deep cuts to belief and security groups at Meta and all through the social media trade, content material moderation might show to be a problem. Many advertisers fled Twitter after controversial content material surged within the wake of Musk’s acquisition. At Meta, which has confronted scrutiny over its amplification of misinformation, comparable issues might undercut its capacity to entice advertisers en masse to a brand new providing.

Here’s what’s been reported to this point.

The app is codenamed Project 92 or P92, Platformer reported in March, and Meta is contemplating calling it Threads, based on a June report from the Verge. It will reportedly be deeply built-in into Instagram, populating info from the prevailing social media platform. A high Meta govt reportedly mentioned that high-profile customers, together with celebrities an content material creators, have been on the lookout for a “sanely run” platform.

A screenshot exhibits an SSO, or single-sign on characteristic, with the phrases “Log in with Instagram” on the touchdown display.

Meta clearly believes it will possibly lever its current relationships with establishments, celebrities, and news organizations to draw customers and content material mills, which in flip would feed promoting income and revitalize an getting old consumer base.

Renders obtained by the Verge present a consumer interface that’s uncannily much like Twitter’s feed, with iconography and symbols that mirror Instagram’s present consumer interface. The acquainted UI will possible make it simpler for customers to grapple with a reported integration with ActivityPub, a social media protocol designed to advertise “decentralized” social networks, permitting completely different platforms to successfully join with one another.

The integration signifies that programs that additionally run on ActivityPub, like Twitter-competitor Mastodon, would have interconnectivity with Project 92. A render shared by the Verge prominently showcases that integration.

Meta chief product officer Chris Cox reportedly mentioned the corporate was participating with public figures, together with the Dalai Lama and Oprah Winfrey, about becoming a member of the platform at launch. The Dalai Lama has over two million followers on Instagram; Winfrey has over 23 million. High-profile energy customers would give Meta a monetizable and captive viewers from the outset, and will assist propel the app forward of Twitter.

The firm started constructing the platform in January, a number of months after Musk took over Twitter, and Meta plans for the app to be accessible this summer season, based on stories in Bloomberg and elsewhere.