Meta, the corporation behind Facebook and Instagram, has angered Twitter owned by Elon Musk with its new app Threads. Twitter has threatened legal action against Threads, which it sees as an imitation of its own site.
The microblogging service has accused Meta of infringing on their intellectual property by using former Twitter developers to develop the software. Meta, however, has refuted these claims, claiming that no Threads engineers ever worked for Twitter. Elon Musk, owner of Twitter, has made similar allegations against Meta.
Twitter has complained to Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, in writing about the company’s theft of proprietary information. Twitter claims that Meta unlawfully recruited a number of former Twitter employees who knew where to find and/or stole sensitive company information and materials.
Twitter claims that Meta illegally exploited this data to further the development of Threads without permission or in compliance with Twitter’s terms of service. The Musk-owned platform has requested that Meta keep any relevant records in the event of a legal dispute. Musk added that while healthy competition is good, dishonesty is not.
Meta disregards Musk’s claims
Meta has addressed Twitter’s allegations and disproved them. According to Meta’s attorney, none of the engineers developing Threads have ever been employed by Twitter.
Some Twitter users were dissatisfied with Twitter’s recent moves, such as limiting access to Tweets or requiring users to pay for a “blue tick,” hence Threads gained popularity immediately following its release. According to Zuckerberg, 30 million people downloaded the app on the first day. In May of 2022, Twitter reported 229 million MAUs.
Threads resembles Twitter in several ways but lacks some of its functionality. Unlike Twitter Spaces, users can’t host chatrooms or upload lengthy films. They also have no access to Threads’ direct messaging or hashtag features.
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