Originally set to launch on July 6, Meta-owned Instagram has gone ahead and activated its Twitter competitor, Threads, ahead of schedule.Instagram's ThreadsTwitter has seen a lot of changes over the last several months, which has led many people to look for alternatives. While there are options, it's the Meta-owned Instagram that's drawing quite a bit of attention. Read more...

The ruling is one of many upcoming that frame a fight over curbing social media's influence in light of First Amendment rights. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

The ruling is one of many upcoming that frame a fight over curbing social media's influence in light of First Amendment rights. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Meta’s attempt to replace Twitter officially kicks off tomorrow, with the Threads iPhone app launch scheduled for Thursday – but Mark Zuckerberg has opened a welcome thread, which you can already view on the web. Initially billed as a text-based offshoot of Instagram, the world might not have paid too much attention had it not been for a sudden and urgent need for a viable Twitter replacement … more… The post Threads iPhone app launches tomorrow; web preview today; no EU availability appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge An important deadline just passed for the biggest tech platform companies in the world to notify the European Union (EU) that they are gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Seven companies have officially acknowledged they meet the criteria: Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, ByteDance (TikTok), Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp), Microsoft, and Samsung. Companies on the list have a market capitalization of over €75 billion ($82 billion) and own a social platform or app that has at least 45 million monthly users or 10,000 active business users. The statement published by EU commissioner Thierry Breton says it “will now check their submissions and designate the gatekeepers for specific platform services by 6 September,” and after…

Reports of the death of Twitter have so far been somewhat exaggerated. Musk may have made dumb decision after dumb decision, but each time either did a rapid U-turn shortly afterwards, or the sheer momentum of Twitter as the default social media app has carried it through. But this time, Musk has not only achieved Michael Scott levels of ineptitude, but Meta has brought forward the launch of its Twitter rival Threads in order to take advantage of the chaos … more… The post The death of Twitter: Is it real this time, thanks to Threads? appeared first on 9to5Mac.