Twitter's first attempt to fight dirty with Threads

Jul 12, 2023

Twitter

Twitter has blocked links to Threads.net, a website for Instagram's Threads app, from appearing in Twitter searches.

This move comes after reports that Twitter traffic has declined since Threads' launch on July 5.

CEO Linda Yaccarino downplayed these reports, but Similarweb data shows that Twitter's web traffic has declined 5% and 11% compared to the week prior and the same days in 2022, respectively.

It's possible that Twitter is concerned about the threat posed by Threads, which has already topped 100 million users.

How is Twitter doing against Threads?

Threads is a new app from Meta that allows users to share photos, videos, and stories with a select group of friends. It has been compared to Twitter's Fleets feature, which was discontinued in November 2021.

Threads has been downloaded over 100 million times since its launch on July 5. This is a significant number, but it is still too early to say whether Threads will be a major threat to Twitter.

Twitter has a number of advantages over Threads, including its larger user base and its more established brand. However, Threads has some potential advantages, such as its focus on private sharing and its integration with Instagram.

It is too early to say who will ultimately win the battle between Twitter and Threads. However, the blocking of links to Threads.net suggests that Twitter is taking the threat seriously.

This is not the first time Twitter decided to block links

This is not the first time that Twitter has blocked links to other platforms. In 2018, Twitter blocked links to the Gab social network, which has been accused of hosting white supremacist content.

Twitter has also blocked links to other social media platforms, such as TikTok and Facebook. These blocks have been criticized by some as censorship. This suggests that Twitter is not afraid to use its power to stifle competition.

It is unclear why Twitter has blocked links to Threads.net. It is possible that Twitter is concerned about the spread of misinformation on Threads. It is also possible that Twitter is simply trying to protect its own traffic.