Latest news with #InstagramThreads
The Star
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Data shows Threads approaching X's daily app user numbers
SAN FRANCISCO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Instagram Threads, a new app from Meta, is catching up to X in terms of mobile app users, according to new data from market intelligence provider Similarweb. In June 2025, Threads' mobile app for iOS and Android saw 115.1 million daily active users, representing 127.8 percent year-on-year growth, while X reached 132 million daily actives, as its year-on-year growth declined by 15.2 percent. The Meta-owned social network saw 15.3 million U.S. daily active users on iOS and Android compared with 22.9 million for X. However, the new data suggests that Threads could become a more significant competitor for X across iOS and Android, as X still has a huge advantage on the web. Similarweb found that X's worldwide daily web visits are well ahead of Threads', with the former seeing 145.8 million average daily web visits worldwide in June 2025, compared with just 6.9 million for Threads. Threads has 350 million monthly active users, according to Meta's latest earnings report. X is no longer required to share metrics publicly as a private company. Its owner Elon Musk last year claimed that X has 600 million monthly active users.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Not everyone is thrilled with Threads' DMs
Earlier this week, Instagram Threads launched what the company said was its most-requested feature to date: direct messages (DMs). However, the company is now facing a bit of a user backlash over the addition, as users, primarily women, are arguing that there should be a way to opt out of DMs entirely, citing harassment concerns. Although DMs are a part of other social networks similar to Threads, including X, Bluesky, Mastodon, and others, some Threads users appreciated that they were not an option previously. 'I don't want to receive DM's. How do I shut this thing off? I ask on behalf of all women,' one Threads user posted on the platform. 'Great. More ways for women to get harassed online,' said another. 'Congrats on adding a feature only stalkers were interested in,' chimed in a third. View on Threads Many others replied to the announcement about DMs, which was shared on Threads by Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Across dozens of posts, some of these users wrote they didn't want DMs or claimed that 'nobody asked for this.' One person pointed to a poll with thousands of votes where Threads users indicated they overwhelmingly would have preferred not to have a DM feature. Several asked if there was a way to turn the feature off. (There is not.) While harassment is a one concern, others worry about inboxes flooded with bots, spam, and other unwelcome outreach. The way the system is currently designed, you have to follow a user for them to have the option to DM you. If that person bothers you, unfollowing them will revoke their access to your inbox. (For a more nuclear option, you can choose to block the user, which blocks them on Instagram, too.) Arguably, those upset by the feature's addition are more likely to have shared their thoughts online — similar to how consumers tend to post bad reviews of businesses on places like Google Maps and Yelp, but not their positive experiences. Still, those complaining may have a point. As a social media platform grows, adding new features after the culture is already set can cause disruption. Creating a non-public way for users to interact changes how some people want to use Threads. Meanwhile, users' lack of control over the experience, like an opt-out option, leaves them feeling helpless. Meta may have felt that by tying DMs to followers, it was giving users a way to decide who could reach them more privately. But what the company failed to understand is that on a public social network like Threads, users may find themselves following people whose posts and opinions they want to read, but who, as strangers, they'd rather keep their distance from. Sign in to access your portfolio
New Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Bella on Syed Saddiq's acquittal: 'Big day for the good guy'
KUALA LUMPUR: Actress and singer Bella Astillah has described the recent acquittal of Muar Member of Parliament, Syed Saddiq, as a fitting decision for a good man who never gives up fighting for the truth. Bella, 31, who has consistently supported Syed Saddiq, also hailed the young politician as a hero and an individual who perseveres despite being burdened by court cases. "Praise be to God, congratulations Syed Saddiq. Big day for the good guy. Not all heroes wear a cape; some wear suits and do not give up," she posted on Instagram Threads. "Justice is upheld," she wrote. Bella wasn't alone in her support for the politician; the comments section was flooded with positive messages. "Praise be to God, thank you. It's the 'next chapter' (the next phase), Bella," one netizen quipped. Another fan commented, "Behind a successful man, there is a woman who always supports him." Yesterday, the Court of Appeal acquitted Syed Saddiq of his conviction, overturning his seven-year jail sentence and two strokes of the cane for criminal breach of trust, misuse of property, and money laundering involving Armada funds. Bella, dressed in a blue baju kurung, was visibly emotional, seen crying and embracing Syed Saddiq's family members shortly after leaving the courtroom. Her presence in court and the emotional moment further fuelled rumours that she and Syed Saddiq are now in a special relationship, despite neither having confirmed it.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Threads expands open social web integrations with fediverse feed, user profile search
Instagram Threads, Meta's competitor to X, on Tuesday launched two new features as part of its plan to further integrate with the open social web, known as the fediverse. Now, Threads users will be able to see posts from other users on the fediverse within a dedicated feed if they've opted in to fediverse sharing on Threads. Plus, people will be able to search for fediverse users directly in Threads. Posts from federated users will be found on the Following tab of the Threads app. They don't appear in line with the other posts from Threads users, however. Instead, you'll tap on a link at the top of the feed to view these posts in a separate feed. Threads can pull in posts made on federated apps like Mastodon, Bookwyrm, WriteFreely, and others, with more services to be supported over time. According to Threads engineer Peter Cottle, users will see the top-level posts from the fediverse in this feed, but aren't yet able to reply. (They can see fediverse replies to their own posts, however, but that's in a different part of the app.) In addition, Threads users will be able to search and discover fediverse profiles in the Threads app, including those for WordPress bloggers who have activated fediverse sharing, Flipboard users, and those on Mastodon, among others. The features are designed to make Threads feel more like a federated app, meaning one that's connected to the wider network of interconnected social media servers that make up the decentralized open social web. Though Threads has not completed this integration, with over 350 million monthly active users, it's the largest app running on the ActivityPub protocol, which powers the X rival Mastodon and other federated apps. First launched in July 2023, Threads to date has taken inspiration from traditional social networks like X, as well as those operating on open source protocols, like Mastodon and Bluesky. Like Bluesky, Threads introduced the concept of custom feeds as well as its version of Starter Packs, to help users find people to follow. And like Mastodon, Threads is more directly tied into the fediverse, allowing people to connect with others who are not directly on Threads. Since its debut, Threads has introduced features that allow its users to opt in to share their posts on the fediverse, see replies on their posts from those on Mastodon, follow users' profiles on other fediverse servers, and see who follows them in return. In June, Threads expanded fediverse sharing functionality to the E.U. after prior launches in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Meta says that Threads has interacted with over 75% of all fediverse servers since launching the fediverse sharing feature a year ago. However, the company has not yet provided an update on when it would be fully integrated with the fediverse, nor when it would introduce account portability. That would allow Threads users to move their account somewhere else if they ever decided Meta's policies weren't to their liking. It's a key aspect for open, decentralized apps, as it puts control in the hands of users instead of the platforms. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Fake footage of massive 'TACO' skywriting over Mar-a-Lago likely AI-generated
Claim: Authentic footage from May 2025 depicts the word "TACO" spelled out in the sky above Trump's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago. Rating: On May 29, 2025, footage allegedly showing the word "TACO" spelled out in contrail vapor above U.S. President Donald Trump's residence in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, circulated the internet. The video spread across multiple platforms, including X (archived), TikTok (archived), Facebook (archived), Instagram Threads (archived) and YouTube. The first post of the video (archived) appeared on X account @SkylineReport, where it garnered more than 1 million views, as of this writing. We were unable to reach the account's owner for comment. Investors began popularizing the term "TACO" ("Trump Always Chickens Out") to characterize claims that whenever Trump faces a market backlash, he will back down. Although several users in the comments appeared to believe that the video was authentic, the footage was fake — and likely AI-generated. First, Google search results of the terms "Trump," "Taco," and "above 'Mar-a-Lago'" yielded no results pertaining to the footage from any reputable news outlet. The results only related to Trump's response to reporters' questions about the term as well as unverified social media posts of the video or similar claims in question. ( Second, there were indications in the video itself of AI-generation. Jet engine vapor trails form letters out of condensation, but an aircraft does not appear in the video until the very end, when it spontaneously appears next to the letter "O" approximately four seconds into the video. If the video were authentic, the aircraft would be visible throughout the video. The video shows dozens of people on the ground beneath the letters. If the footage were authentic, individual social media users would have posted their own footage. Rather, the only footage on the internet is from one angle. The fake footage also depicts a distinctly long building beneath the letters supposedly on the Mar-a-Lago property, but Google Earth imagery of Mar-a-Lago does not appear to show any such building. (Google Earth) Lastly, we ran a screenshot of the video through AI-detection software Hive, and the results were 99.9% likely to be AI-generated. ( Fact Check: FAKE Video Shows 'TACO' in the Sky Over Mar-a-Lago | Lead Stories. 30 May 2025, Accessed 30 May 2025. Jolly, Jasper. '"Trump Always Chickens out": Taco Jibe Ruffles President's Feathers'. The Guardian, 29 May 2025. The Guardian,
