Twitter Gets Feisty: Seeking Legal Action Over Meta’s Threads App

The launch of Threads, Instagram's answer to Twitter, may lead to a legal showdown between Elon Musk's Twitter and Mark Zuckerberg's Meta.

Earlier this week, Meta's Instagram unveiled Threads, a text-focused social app riding on Instagram's existing infrastructure and user base. According to Zuckerberg, the app already boasted over 30 million sign-ups as of Thursday morning.

According to Semafor (a new news platform), in a cease-and-desist letter dated July 5, Twitter's legal representative accused Meta of "serious concerns." More specifically, over the alleged deliberate and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and intellectual property. The letter warned that Twitter intends to aggressively protect its rights. They demanded immediate action from Meta to stop using any "confidential information" belonging to Twitter.

The letter also claimed that Meta had intentionally recruited a significant number of Twitter employees over the past year. (It's worth mentioning that Musk noted in an interview with the BBC in April that he fired about 80% of the company's staff.) The letter says that Meta quickly assigned them to develop a copycat app called Threads. They argue that this is a violation of both state and federal laws. Twitter also argues that this is a violation of the obligations these employees had to the company.

In response, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone referred to a Threads post, denying that any members of the Threads engineering team were former Twitter employees.

Elon Musk chimed in on Twitter, stating, "Competition is fine, cheating is not," in response to Twitter's legal threat against Meta.

Musk acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal in October 2022. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino, who recently joined the company after leaving NBCUniversal, posted a tweet on Thursday indirectly referencing Threads, emphasizing the uniqueness and irreplaceability of the Twitter community.

Threads, the Twitter alternative created by Meta, has been officially released and gained ten million sign-ups within its first seven hours, as confirmed by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The platform has already garnered significant support from various celebrities.

If you take a peek at Threads, you'll notice that it shamelessly resembles Twitter. It's no secret that Meta is aiming to lure users away from Elon Musk's struggling platform. The site made its grand debut, poised to give Twitter a run for its money in a way that previous alternatives like Mastodon and Bluesky couldn't quite achieve.

Created by the Instagram team, this fresh app offers a platform for sharing text updates and participating in public conversations. With this app, you have the freedom to create posts up to 500 characters in length, incorporating links, photos, and videos that can be up to 5 minutes long.

Since Musk assumed control of Twitter late last year, numerous Twitter users have expressed their desire for an alternative platform. Technical glitches and frequent policy changes have prompted some prominent Twitter users to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Meta has a distinct advantage in terms of its existing user base. With over 2 billion active Instagram users worldwide, Meta aims to attract a significant portion of them to its new app. In contrast, Twitter's active user base stands at approximately 250 million.

"It’ll take some time, but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it," Zuckerberg said in a Threads post. "Twitter has had the opportunity do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will."

The roster of celebrity names jumping on board continues to grow. Shakira, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, and Kourtney Kardashian, have started accounts. So has Will Smith, and Jennifer Lopez, who have all hopped on the Threads and already have tens of thousands of followers.

Thanks to the carryover of usernames and verification from Instagram, Threads can effortlessly assemble an impressive lineup of famous faces and brands. And it's not just Hollywood stars joining the party. Jack Harlow, Zayn Malik, Gordon Ramsay, Karlie Kloss, Liam Payne, Ellie Goulding, and even the Dalai Lama have been spotted logging on to the app.

Take a look at celebrity posts extending a warm welcome to the new app.

Gordon Ramsay, the culinary genius, is not just a master in the kitchen but also a pro at sarcasm. With his razor-sharp wit and quick comebacks, he knows how to dish out sarcastic remarks. Even on the new app saying "Is this where I find the lamb sauce ??"

It's interesting to see the Dalai Lama embracing the wild world of social media. It's like watching your wise old grandparent try to navigate a roller coaster ride.

Zooey Deschanel, the talented actress known for her unique charm, brings her wit not only to the big screen but also to the realm of social media. With her quick and clever sense of humor, she effortlessly drew in a laugh with her Threads post. "Falling for Threads like I'm falling off this hammock," she said.

Ellen DeGeneres enthusiastically joined in on the Threads fun, radiating happiness and embracing the inclusive spirit of the platform. "Welcome to Gay Twitter!" she wrote.

Steve Aoki is not just known for his music but also for his signature cake throwing antics. Now, on the new app, he's taking his talent for throwing jokes. His post to the app about social media manager rates going up is quite fitting.

Shaquille O'Neal, the larger-than-life basketball legend, is not only known for his impressive skills on the court but also for his playful and mischievous nature off the court. He's a true jokester who loves to bring laughter to any situation including his first post on the new app, "THE DIESEL IS HERE."