Meta's Threads turns 1 this week. We interviewed Threads chief Adam Mosseri and wrote about how far it has come (175m users), how far it still has to go to catch X (pretty far!), and whether its refusal to embrace hard news, politics or even "social issues" will help or hinder it in getting there.
Gift link: https://wapo.st/4btdz2L
Attracting users has never been Threads' problem. Tens of millions of people desperate for a Twitter alternative flocked to the site literally overnight when it launched. The harder part has been keeping them, which requires carving out an identity beyond "Instagram for text."
Mosseri told us the goal is to create "a less angry place for people to share their ideas." Is that enough? https://wapo.st/4btdz2L
Threads *does* want to be a primary hub for real-time news,
Mosseri told us — just not news about politics, wars, or hot-button social issues. He said the company has dialed up the recency bias on its "For You" algorithm (originally adapted from Instagram's) to encourage real-time commentary on sports, entertainment, etc.
“It’s still a little bit too slow,” he said. “But we are getting better.” https://wapo.st/4btdz2L
Will Oremus