Twitter is reportedly contemplating taking legal action against Meta, the company behind Threads, a fast-growing rival app to Twitter.
Threads, which was recently launched to a substantial user base, offers similar features and has been positioned by Meta as a “friendly” alternative to Twitter.
Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, expressed his opinion on the matter, stating that competition is acceptable, but cheating is not. However, Meta has denied allegations made in a legal letter claiming that former Twitter employees were involved in the creation of Threads.
Meta has reported that over 30 million people have already signed up for the new app. While this is a significant number, it represents less than one-tenth of Twitter’s estimated 350 million user base, as per Statista.
It is important to note that US copyright law does not safeguard ideas, meaning Twitter would need to demonstrate in court that its intellectual property, such as programming code, was unlawfully used.
Additionally, Meta holds a patent granted in 2012 for the concept of “communicating a newsfeed,” the system used to display the latest posts on platforms like Facebook.
The potential legal action between Twitter and Meta highlights the competitive dynamics in the social media landscape and the challenges surrounding intellectual property rights within the industry.
Both Mr Musk and Mr Zuckerberg have acknowledged the rivalry over Threads, which is linked to Instagram but works as a standalone app.
As it launched in 100 countries, Mr Zuckerberg broke more than 11 years of silence on Twitter to post a highly popular meme of two nearly identical Spider-Man figures pointing at each other, indicating a stand-off.
Shortly after, and as the word “Threads” trended globally on his platform, Mr Musk said: “It is infinitely preferable to be attacked by strangers on Twitter, than indulge in the false happiness of hide-the-pain Instagram.”