Explainer: Twitter competition, EU ban on Threads app, and difficulties with data protection law

 Explainer: Twitter competition, EU ban on Threads app, and difficulties with data protection law

Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, has purchased WhatsApp and Instagram to make his group firm Meta the largest social media network in the world. Following the July 5 release of Meta's Threads app, Twitter sent Meta Company a legal notice. In response, Meta argues that the threads were not made with the assistance of former engineers and employees of Twitter.

The new software Threads from Meta business, which debuted in 100 nations, has amassed more than 150 million downloads in just 10 days and 100 million weekly active users. The Threads app has been outlawed in 27 EU nations because to stringent privacy regulations. It's interesting to note that 11 years after founding Meta, owner Mark Zuckerberg used Twitter's platform to share thread-related information.

1. Rivalry and Cheating: Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, transformed his group firm Meta into the biggest social media network in the world by purchasing Instagram and Whatsapp. 15 years ago, Zuckerberg attempted to purchase Twitter for $500 million after speaking with Jack Dorsey. After failing, Zuckerberg vowed to create a Twitter-like product. After the 5th July release of the Threads app, Twitter sent a legal warning to Meta Company. The notification claims that Meta used former employees, trade secrets, and intellectual property of Twitter without authorization to create the CopyCat software. Elon Musk contends that while devotion is beneficial in business, dishonesty is improper. In response, Meta argues that the threads were not made with the assistance of former engineers and employees of Twitter.

2. The advantages of Instagram Threads - You may immediately download threads from Instagram or the Play Store. Users' Instagram usernames and followers can be used to log into discussions. Users may interact with their favourite creators and debate hot subjects using this. Filters can be used by thread users to prevent certain terms from appearing in responses. Due to not being included to threads, it can draw more clients than Twitter.

3. There is a difference between Twitter and threads in that tweets on Twitter are limited to 280 characters, whereas thread posts are limited to 500. A video can be posted on Twitter for 2 minutes and 20 seconds by accounts without verification, and for 5 minutes by threads. Initial-stage threads still have a number of problems and drawbacks. In Threads, there is no choice for a desktop version with direct messaging. Like Twitter, threads do not offer the opportunity to search for keywords, hashtags, or hot topics. For blue-tick users, Twitter provides an editing capability that is not yet available in threads. Apart from threads, numerous other platforms are posing a serious threat to Twitter. Jack Dorsey, the former CEO of Twitter, has introduced an app called BlueSky. In addition, Mastodon is rapidly growing in popularity as a replacement for Twitter.

4. Twitter and Threads in India – Twitter was fined Rs. 50 lakh by the Karnataka High Court. Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, has stated that he will uphold Indian law when Prime Minister Modi is in the United States. 24 million people use Twitter. In India, there are roughly 24 million Twitter users. While Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are all products of Meta Company, India is their largest global market.

Following a disagreement with the government a few years ago, the Koo app gained notoriety as a Twitter competitor in India, where the social media platform has about 7 million monthly active users. Musk is conducting several experiments on Twitter to boost his revenue. According to it, confirmed users are only permitted to view 10,000 posts every day, while unverified users are only permitted to read 1,000 posts. This cap is 500 posts for new users. Twitter's new subscription pricing model for user verification. In India, BlueTick is receiving criticism. While Instagram has over 400 million users in India, Threads will profit from its connection to that network.

5. The issue of data security - Concerns about the Facebook and WhatsApp data security policies of Meta Company have long been voiced. According to the information provided by Threads, their software has the ability to gather sensitive information about users' location, contact information, search history, health, fitness, and finances through online activity. The Threads app has the option to share user information with other parties, including gender identity, political and religious affiliations, race, caste, and job status. After receiving Cabinet clearance, India's Personal Data Protection Bill will be presented to Parliament during the monsoon session. Applications like Threads in India only have to abide by the IT Intermediary Rules while the data protection law is being enacted.

6. Threads are no longer allowed in EU nations - GDPR has created strict restrictions for data protection in EU nations. Data and privacy issues pertaining to Meta have been raised in two recent EU judgements. According to the European Union Court of Justice, Meta might be investigated for using users' personal information for advertisements without receiving permission from the regulatory body. The Ireland DPC prohibited Facebook from sending data from the EU to the US in May. The sharing of user data across numerous platforms is subject to many regulations under the EU's Digital Markets Act. The use of personal data is subject to several stipulations in Threads' data policy that are in conflict with the laws of the EU, which is why it has not yet been made available in those regions.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is in touch with the Meta firm over the introduction of Threads, according to Ireland's Independent newspaper. Therefore, Meta will need to wait for the European Commission's clearance before launching Threads. Despite having just 463 million members, Twitter is widely used in international diplomacy and politics. Despite having a smaller population, Europe plays a significant role in global affairs. Because of this, it will be challenging for Threads to succeed globally without making its debut in the European Union. In order to protect the privacy of billions of users, Meta Company should respect the stringent regulations of the European Union and take action.