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Instagram's Threads app hit 100 million downloads five days after launch.
Threads 100 million downloads in five days shattered the previous record set by the AI tool, ChatGPT as the fastest-growing consumer app.
Comparatively, ChatGPT took two months and TikTok took nine months to reach the 100 million users download. It is worth noting that Instagram itself took two and a half years to achieve this milestone after its launch in 2010.
Threads was launched on both Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries on Wednesday, although it is not available in Europe due to uncertainties surrounding parent company Meta's compliance with the European Union's data privacy legislation.
Twitter, which is estimated to have approximately 200 million regular users, has been facing technical difficulties since Elon Musk acquired the platform last year and laid off numerous employees.
Musk, who also holds key positions at Tesla and SpaceX, has incurred the displeasure of many users by implementing charges for previously free services and allowing banned right-wing accounts to return to the platform.
While a few rivals have emerged, most of them are niche platforms that lack the necessary scalability to challenge Twitter's dominance.
Threads has found it easier to gain traction due to its association with Instagram, which boasts over one billion regular users.
According to online data service Quiver Quantitative, the app reached 100 million users on Monday. However, other websites tracking the number of "badges" received by Instagram users who have downloaded Threads suggest that the milestone was achieved even earlier.
In a contentious development, Musk has threatened to sue Meta, the parent company of Instagram, for alleged theft of trade secrets and intellectual property. Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, has denied these claims.
Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg have engaged in a rivalry, with both individuals recently challenging each other to a cage fight.
AFP
