Threads and Bluesky need to define their identity and purpose

Twitter alternatives are gaining popularity, and it wouldn’t take much effort to overthrow X as the primary news-sharing platform.

When Elon Musk engages in controversial actions, Bluesky, one of the emerging social media platforms aspiring to be an alternative to Twitter or X, experiences a noticeable increase in new users. Bluesky, currently invitation-only, has gathered over 1.5 million users, with its user base gradually expanding. Twexit, a platform monitoring user migration from Twitter to Bluesky, has observed surges in redeeming invite codes over the past few months.

Over the year since Musk took control of Twitter, notable spikes in new user registrations align with key events, including Twitter’s transformation into X, Musk’s announcement on removing the block feature, and his suggestion of introducing a subscription fee for users.

It’s noteworthy that when X removed headlines from news articles, there wasn’t a noticeable increase in activity. Additionally, there hasn’t been a significant influx of users expressing concern about misinformation and violent content related to the Israel-Hamas conflict on X.

However, there has been a gradual increase in daily posting on Bluesky since September 19th, though it remains at approximately 10% of the total registered user accounts (around 150,000).

Similarly, in the past week, there has been a resurgence in activity on Threads, Meta’s alternative to Twitter, following a substantial initial decline in excitement after its launch. Users have become more vocal in expressing concerns about Threads’ performance, as noted by Casey Newton on The Verge.

While this assessment primarily relies on the perception of increased followers, Similarweb, which previously recorded a sharp decline in Threads’ usage after its launch, has noted a slight rebound in the past two weeks, as indicated by Android app data.

A recent CNN thread on Threads, seeking journalists to identify themselves on the platform, garnered over 2,000 responses and received more than 6,000 likes. While this might seem modest compared to some highly popular Twitter accounts, it indicates a growing interest in Threads potentially evolving into a professionalized news platform.

However, the intentions of the organizations behind Threads or Bluesky remain unclear. As pointed out by Newton, while Threads could incorporate features like lists, hashtags, trending topics, and a TweetDeck-like interface, it is evident that these platforms are not explicitly designed as news-centric spaces. Meta has historically struggled to consistently meet the media’s demands.

News deemed ‘too risky’ for publication.

Last week, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram overseeing Threads, stated that while Meta is not against the presence of news on the platform, it won’t receive promotional emphasis. Mosseri clarified that news is present on Threads, and users can share and follow news accounts. However, the platform won’t actively boost or highlight news due to perceived risks at its current stage of development and potential drawbacks associated with overemphasizing news.

Twitter’s departure from being a significant traffic source for journalism websites had only a 1% decrease in traffic over the past six months, according to NPR. The current strength of X lies in the fact that its competitors are basic versions of Twitter. Bluesky is exclusive and lacks video capabilities, while Threads lacks hashtags and both platforms lack direct messaging features. Nevertheless, Threads has recently made progress by introducing voice posts and an editing function.

In the wider tech landscape:

• An investigation by The Guardian into the extensive dissemination of disinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war online.
• The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried is intriguing, with notable testimony from Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and former CEO of Alameda Research.
• The California Delete Act, allowing individuals to request data brokers to delete their information, may be closely monitored globally.
• ChatGPT has reached its one-year milestone, prompting an assessment of its impact on various fields.
• Concerns have been raised about AI chatbots potentially being used to plan a bioweapon attack.
• Digital wallets have gained popularity in Australia, accounting for about 35% of card transactions, leading the government to consider regulating services like Apple Wallet.
• The billionaire space race, with individuals venturing into low-Earth orbit, raises questions about the eventual cleanup of space debris.
• The Microsoft $69 billion takeover of Activision-Blizzard has concluded, marking the end of a significant business saga.