Since Instagram’s parent company Meta launched Threads, a text-based social media app on July 5th, it has sparked debate about its resemblance to Twitter—the Elon Musk-owned social media platform. Now Twitter has threatened to sue Meta accusing it of “systematic, wilful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.”
In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Twitter, stated “Twitter has substantial concerns that Meta Platforms has engaged in systematic, deliberate, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.”
The letter accessed by Semafor goes on to claim that Meta has hired “dozens” of former Twitter employees who still have access to Twitter’s trade secrets and other confidential information. Twitter these employees of “improperly retaining Twitter documents and electronic devices.”
The Twitter attorney minces no words clearly calling Meta’s Threads application a “copycat”. Spiro alleged that Meta tasked its ex-Twitter employees to develop copycat Threads app “using Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property in order to accelerate the development of Meta’s competing app.”
Twitter further accused Meta of violating state and federal laws as well as the obligations of ex-Twitter employees now working at Meta.
The letter also reiterates Twitter’s intention to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights and requests that Meta take “immediate steps” to stop using “Twitter’s trade secrets or other highly confidential information.” Twitter also stated that reserves the “right to seek both civil remedies and injunctive relief without further notice to prevent any further retention, disclosure, or use of its intellectual property by Meta.”
Furthermore, the letter prohibits Meta from scraping Twitter data, including user follower information. The letter concluded with Twitter telling Meta to “preserve any documents that could be Twitter, Meta and former Twitter employees who now work at Meta.”
Meta communications director refutes claims on ex-Twitter employees working at Meta
Meta has responded to the allegations leveled by Twitter that its ex-employees are working at Meta. Andy Stone, Meta’s communications director in a Threads post stated, “To be clear: No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee — that’s just not a thing.”
Elon Musk accuses Meta of “cheating”
In response to a tweet about Twitter’s plans to sue Meta, Twitter owner Elon Musk made it clear that competition is acceptable however, “cheating” is not.
“Competition is fine, cheating is not,” Musk tweeted on Friday.
Competition is fine, cheating is not
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2023
To delete the Threads app, users must delete Instagram
Threads, Twitter’s latest rivals after Mastodan, Bluesky etc had people trying out the application with many not liking it and trying to delete their Threads account. However, users attempting to delete their account and quit the new app cannot do so without also deleting their Instagram account, as the two are linked.
This apparently seems like a strategy as Instagram is a popular platform and not many would actually quit the app just to delete Threads. It is pertinent to note that since Instagram and Threads are linked, to have an account on Threads, the user must already have an Instagram profile.
“Your Threads profile is part of your Instagram account and may be deleted at any time by deleting your Instagram account,” according to the app’s Supplemental Privacy Policy.
Many took to Twitter to complain about the same and accused Meta of trapping the users by linking Threads to Instagram profiles.
“We can’t delete our threads account without deleting our ig?? they knew ppl would instantly hate it so they made it a saw trap,” one user tweeted.
we can’t delete our threads account without deleting our ig?? they knew ppl would instantly hate it so they made it a saw trap
— laura 🦠 (@ecto_fun) July 6, 2023
“Installed threads just to see what it is all about and this mf trapped us all, can’t even delete the account now,” another one wrote.
Installed threads just to see what it is all about and this mf trapped us all, can’t even delete the account now 🙂
— Yuganshika (@yuganshikaaa) July 6, 2023
“I want to delete my Threads ac but now I can’t,” another Threads user complained about the issue on Twitter.
I want to delete my threads ac but now I can't 😭 pic.twitter.com/ubmIkIVU15
— Rushi (@iamwotim) July 6, 2023
Netizens accuse Meta of censorship
Just hours after its launch Threads has invited controversy as many users have alleged that the newly-introduced app is curbing free speech. Many users complained that their Thread posts critical of the US government were removed in a blatant attempt at censorship.
A Twitter user shared a screen grab of a removed Thread about the recent discovery of cocaine in the West Wing of the White House. The said Thread was found to be in violation of the community guidelines of the app, much like Instagram.
That was quick pic.twitter.com/ka7fyAeu6j
— shaneyyricch (@shaneyyricch) July 6, 2023
A person who goes by the username DC Draino tweeted that his Threads profile was flagged by independent “fact-checkers” for posting ‘fake news’. This came after he posted a Thread saying that he is ready to expose Joe Biden’s corrupt government.
“Just downloaded and signed up for the new Meta app “Threads” meant to imitate Twitter. I posted once about wanting to expose Biden’s corrupt government and they’ve already flagged me for censorship. Great platform Zuck,” Draino tweeted.
If users attempt to follow an account (as in the case of DC Draino) that has been flagged by Instagram and Threads, a pop-up will appear saying “Are you sure you want to follow (account name)?” followed by a warning that “This account has repeatedly posted false information that was reviewed by independent fact-checkers or went against our Community Guidelines.”
Just downloaded and signed up for the new Meta app “Threads” meant to imitate Twitter
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) July 6, 2023
I posted once about wanting to expose Biden’s corrupt government and they’ve already flagged me for censorship
Great platform Zuck pic.twitter.com/2RhusHRo7v
“Threads by Zuck is just Twitter 1.0 censorship on steroids. It will never be a source of information. Zuck just wants it to “be nice,” one Wall Street Silver tweeted.
Threads by Zuck is just Twitter 1.0 censorship on steroids. It will never be a source of information.
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) July 6, 2023
Zuck just wants it to "be nice".
Ht @shaneyyricch pic.twitter.com/Oag1QlF7yi
With Twitter and Meta at loggerheads, with the former accusing the latter of using its trade secrets and intellectual property through ex-Twitter employees, the proposed cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg may actually happen in a courtroom.
