Instagram’s Threads App Shatters Records, Surpassing 100 Million Users in Under Five Days

In a groundbreaking achievement, Instagram’s Threads app, designed as a direct competitor to Twitter, has garnered over 100 million users within a span of less than five days, according to data tracking websites. This exceptional growth rate surpasses the record previously held by the AI tool ChatGPT for the fastest-growing consumer application.

Compared to other prominent platforms, Threads achieved this milestone at an astonishing pace. While ChatGPT took two months and TikTok required nine months to reach the 100 million user mark, it took Instagram itself a lengthy two and a half years after its launch in 2010.

Threads made its debut on both Apple and Android app stores across 100 countries late last Wednesday, with the notable exception of Europe. The parent company, Meta, has hesitated to release the app in Europe due to uncertainties surrounding compliance with the European Union’s data privacy legislation.

Twitter, estimated to have around 200 million regular users, has faced ongoing technical issues since Elon Musk acquired the platform last year and implemented significant workforce reductions. Musk, who also serves as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has drawn criticism from numerous users by introducing charges for previously free services and reinstating banned right-wing accounts on the platform.

While several competitors have emerged in the social media landscape, most of them remain niche platforms lacking the necessary scalability to overthrow Twitter. Threads, benefiting from its integration with Instagram, which boasts more than one billion regular users, has experienced a smoother trajectory towards growth.

Online data service Quiver Quantitative reported that Threads surpassed the 100 million user milestone at 0700 GMT on Monday. Other websites, using a tally of the “badges” acquired by Instagram users who downloaded Threads, suggest that the mark was reached even earlier.

Amidst the ongoing rivalry between Musk and Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Musk has threatened legal action against Meta for alleged theft of trade secrets and intellectual property. However, Meta has firmly denied these claims, emphasizing its ownership of Facebook and WhatsApp alongside Instagram.

Recently, Musk and Zuckerberg even exchanged challenges for a potential cage fight, further escalating their feud.