Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino took a swipe at the platform’s new rival Threads, which was launched this week by Facebook parent company Meta.
Meta launched the “text-based conversation app” this week as a competitor to Twitter, with chief product officer Chris Cox reportedly saying that it is “our response” to the platform. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 10 million people registered for the app in the first seven hours after it launched in more than 100 countries, including the United States.
Yaccarino, whom Elon Musk appointed as his successor after he stepped down as Twitter CEO, said “everyone’s voice matters” on the platform.
“Whether you’re here to watch history unfold, discover REAL-TIME information all over the world, share your opinions, or learn about others — on Twitter YOU can be real. YOU built the Twitter community,” she said.
“And that’s irreplaceable. This is your public square. We’re often imitated — but the Twitter community can never be duplicated,” Yaccarino concluded.
She did not name Meta or Threads by name in the tweet.
Cox said at a company-wide meeting last month that Meta leaders have heard from creators and public figures that they are interested in a platform that is “sanely run,” The Verge reported.
Musk has overseen a wide array of changes at Twitter since he took over the company last year. He has created a system for users to pay to receive Twitter verification, rolled back content moderation rules and reinstated previously suspended accounts, including that of former President Trump.
He most recently created temporary limits on how many tweets per day a user can view, limiting verified accounts to 6,000 per day and unverified accounts to 600 per day.
Instagram users will be able to log in to Threads using their existing usernames and follow the same accounts on the app. Meta has promoted it as a text-based version of Instagram to provide a “new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.”