10-7-2023 (PARIS) In a remarkable feat, the Threads app, launched by Instagram to compete with Twitter, has amassed over 100 million users in under five days, according to data tracking websites on Monday (Jul 10). This achievement shatters the previous record set by AI tool ChatGPT as the fastest-growing consumer app.
While ChatGPT took two months and video-sharing app TikTok took nine months to reach the 100 million user milestone, Instagram itself took a substantial two-and-a-half years after its launch in 2010.
Threads was made available on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries late last Wednesday. However, it is currently inaccessible in Europe due to parent company Meta’s uncertainty about navigating the European Union’s data privacy legislation.
Twitter, estimated to have approximately 200 million regular users, has experienced frequent technical glitches since Elon Musk acquired the platform last year and made significant staff cuts.
Musk, who also serves as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has faced backlash from many users for implementing charges for previously free services and reinstating banned right-wing accounts on the platform.
While several rivals have emerged, most are niche platforms that lack the capacity to grow at the scale necessary to challenge Twitter’s dominance.
Threads benefits from its association with Instagram, which boasts over 1 billion regular users, making its expansion more seamless.
According to online data service Quiver Quantitative, the app surpassed 100 million users at 7 am GMT on Monday. Other websites, relying on the count of “badges” received by Instagram users who have downloaded Threads, reported that the milestone was reached earlier.
Musk has threatened to sue Meta for alleged theft of trade secrets and intellectual property, allegations that the company has vehemently denied. Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, finds itself in a heated rivalry with Musk, with the two individuals recently engaging in a public exchange, challenging each other to a cage fight.
