Twitter has accused Meta of having the intention of creating a “copycat” app soon after Threads was launched. But is that really the case? Here’s what we know about it.

With 70 million sign-ups around the world just one day after its launch, Meta’s Threads app is widely seen as Twitter’s biggest competition. Given this, it might not come as a surprise that the Elon Musk-owned company has threatened to sue Meta over it. 

As of writing, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been sent a letter from Alex Spiro—an attorney representing Twitter. According to the letter, the new Threads app is being accused of engaging in “systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.”

Furthermore, Meta has been accused of having the intention of creating a “copycat” app that is very similar to Twitter. It likewise alleges that Meta has hired former Twitter employees in its quest to create the Threads app.

Elon Musk Weighs in 

The letter further states that “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information.”

“Twitter reserves all rights, including, but not limited to, the right to seek both civil remedies and injunctive relief without further notice,” it adds. 

Elon Musk has also shared his thoughts regarding the matter. In a reply to a tweet about the letter, the Twitter owner says “Competition is fine, cheating is not.” 

Meta Dismisses the Allegations 

It comes as no surprise that Meta has denied all the accusations made by Twitter via its attorney’s letter. 

Meta’s Communications Director, Andy Stone, has responded to the accusations via a post on Threads. In the post, Stone says that “No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee—that’s just not a thing.”

Why the Launch of Threads is a Good Thing for Businesses

As of April 2023, 4.80 billion people around the world are social media users, and the growth of social media platforms has given businesses everywhere a new avenue to promote products and services and even make a sale. 

That being said, the launch of Threads has provided everyone with a new platform to communicate, share media, and build online relationships. And for businesses, Threads is a new platform that can be used to advertise, market, and generate sales. 

While Threads is still in the very early days of its launch and updates will surely be made to the app, businesses can already study and analyze how to maximize the platform in order to suit the needs of a business. What’s more, businesses can leverage on the millions of users on the app to grow its brand presence and awareness—all while sharing information about their products, services, and developments.