Has Threads already become a serious threat to Twitter? It’s starting to look like it, as the blue bird platform, now led by chairman Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino, has threatened legal action against Meta and the Instagram team’s newly launched rival, claiming that the app was developed with “Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.” If Twitter’s legal team is to be believed, Meta intentionally hired Twitter employees to exploit their knowledge for Threads, although Meta has already shot back and called the accusations baseless, stating that the team doesn’t actually include any former Twitter employees. The drama comes less than a day after Zuckerberg announced on Threads that the platform had attracted 30 million sign-ups in its first few hours online.
“Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information,” Spiro wrote in a letter shared by Semafor.
“Twitter reserves all rights, including, but not limited to, the right to seek both civil remedies and injunctive relief without further notice to prevent any further retention, disclosure, or use of its intellectual property by Meta.”
Whether you’re a creator or a casual poster, Threads offers a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations. We are working toward making Threads compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that we believe can shape the future of the internet.
Instagram is where billions of people around the world connect over photos and videos. Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas. Just like on Instagram, with Threads you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond. And you can use our existing suite of safety and user controls.