Will Meta's Threads be a platform of news and politics? Instagram boss replies

Meta has distanced itself from news and political content in recent years, and has reduced the amount of political content seen by users on Facebook.

Published on: Jul 8, 2023, 13:03:01 IST

By HT News Desk

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Instagram's new app ‘Threads’ has become a huge hit on the internet and registered 70 million users within days of launch. The text-based platform has been touted as the challenger to Twitter. But there is one question which everyone has been asking: Will the Meta-owned Threads be also a platform for hard news and politics?

Instagram boss Adam Mosseri in a Threads conversation with tech website The Verge said the platform won't do anything to encourage politics and hard news.

“Politics and hard news are important, I don't want to imply otherwise. But my take is, from a platform's perspective, any incremental engagement or revenue they might drive is not at all worth the scrutiny, negativity (let's be honest), or integrity risks that come along with them. There are more than enough amazing communities – sports, music, fashion, beauty, entertainment, etc – to make a vibrant platform without needing to get into politics or hard news”, Mosseri wrote on Threads.

Meta has distanced itself from news and political content in recent years, and has reduced the amount of political content seen by users on Facebook.

In 2021, Meta in a post said it continues to test and refine its approach to political content on Facebook.

Meta had said less than three per cent of what people see on their Feed is political content, and added that the goal is to ensure people see what's most important to them.

Last year, Meta had dropped ‘News’ from the name of Facebook Feed last year. It responded to a new Canadian law requiring to pay for local news.

Post by @mosseri

View on Threads

“We won't discourage or down-rank news or politics, we just won't court them the way we have in the past. If we are honest, we were too quick to promise too much to the industry on Facebook in the early 2010s, and it would be a mistake to repeat that...” Mosseri added.

Threads faces Twitter legal action
Twitter has been fuming at the launch of Threads, and has accused Meta of stealing trade secrets and hired ex-Twitter employees to build a ‘copycat’ app. “Competition is fine, cheating is not”, the microblogging platform's boss Elon Musk has tweeted.

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HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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