If you were expecting Threads by Instagram to take the place of X (formerly Twitter) as a news feed, think again. The company’s current plan is to keep chats as a private space for users to communicate with close friends and family, without being bombarded with news and politics.
This position was confirmed by the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, several times on the platform. Most recently, Mosseri attended a creative event where he shared his thoughts on moving the platform to a more news-centric place, drawing on his experience working for Facebook and relying heavily on current events during his time there.
This might be disappointing news for those who fled X and were hoping Threads would fill that gap. The simple fact is that X, for all its flaws, remains one of the best ways to keep track of what’s happening in the world.
Additionally, businesses such as news publications, etc., might be inclined not to continue growing within the platform. The fear of having fewer opportunities to reach users with their news and announcements can become a major factor in their marketing decisions.
We are not against the news. The news is clearly already on Threads. People can share news; people can follow accounts that share news. We’re not going to bother anyone either. But we are also not going to amplify the news on the platform. Doing so would be too risky given the maturity of the platform, the downsides of over-promising, and the stakes. -Mosseri
Reactions to this latest statement have been mixed. Some celebrated and encouraged the decision to keep the platform “drama-free” and a non-controversial place they can escape to. Others, on the contrary, have accused the company of taking a middle-of-the-road and safe approach in an attempt to remain non-controversial, when all their users want is a way to follow the news in real time.
It remains to be seen whether the current position on information amplification changes. Threads is a relatively new player in the social media space, and the company currently appears to be putting all its efforts into adding more user-requested features, with the exception of real-time information.
