Meta to develop new social media platform to rival Twitter

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is planning to develop a text-based social network to rival Twitter. The BBC reported the platform aims to allow users to follow accounts from Instagram, Meta's image-sharing app, and potentially import followers from decentralised platforms like Mastodon. Meta's chief product officer confirmed that coding is underway, with a release expected soon, possibly by the end of June. Leaked screenshots of the app's layout suggest a resemblance to Twitter.

The text-based network, code-named P92, could pose a significant challenge to Twitter and surpass competitors like BlueSky and Mastodon, said the BBC. Meta's vast Instagram community, boasting around two billion users compared to Twitter's estimated 300 million, offers an advantage in terms of potential user base. If even a fraction of Instagram users embrace the new platform, it could instantly outsize Twitter.

Meta acknowledges drawing inspiration from other products, as seen with Facebook's adoption of Stories from Snapchat and Instagram's similarity to TikTok's Reels. Twitter has faced criticism over its moderation practices and withdrew from the EU's voluntary disinformation code in May. Under Elon Musk's leadership, moderation on Twitter reportedly relaxed, leading to concerns about the spread of misinformation.