Instagram’s Threads, a new app developed by Meta, is now available for iPhone, Android smartphones, and the web. Although it is a separate app from Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, users can log in using their Instagram accounts. While Meta positions the app as a competitor to Twitter, it shares some fundamental similarities with the platform, such as the ability to follow other users, create threads (similar to tweets), reshare them (akin to retweets), and share media content like images and videos.
However, what sets Threads apart is its support for the ActivityPub protocol, which aligns it with the decentralized social web. Initially, the app launched without ActivityPub support, but Instagram head Adam Mosseri has confirmed that it will be introduced in the future. The ActivityPub protocol is also utilized by Mastodon, another social media platform that serves as an alternative to Twitter. By adopting ActivityPub, Threads will be able to integrate with the decentralized social web, allowing for greater interoperability and interaction with other platforms that support the protocol.
