Meta, the company that owns Facebook and WhatsApp—confirmed claims that it had begun developing the platform in a statement posted late Friday. According to the announcement, a standalone, decentralised social network for text update sharing was being investigated.
At a time when Twitter is having unprecedented challenges, social media powerhouse Meta has announced the development of a new “text sharing” platform that will most likely compete with it.
The proclamation went on to say:
We believe that a dedicated location where notable celebrities and innovators may post timely updates about their interests is necessary.
What Do We Know About It?
Mastodon, a decentralised social media site similar to Twitter, is one of the platforms with which the new Meta platform is meant to interact. As a result, users will be able to share their posts on other networks.
The feature is not available on Twitter. In December, Elon Musk, the platform’s new owner, temporarily banned Twitter accounts that provided links to other social media networks.
Some networks, such as Instagram and YouTube, prohibit such collaboration due of their strict technological boundaries.
After a whistleblower alleged that Facebook’s parent company was aware of the harm that its platform was causing users, it changed its name to Meta in 2021. Facebook Zuckerberg launched the so-called metaverse, a fake 3D network based on virtual and augmented reality, but it has since fallen short of expectations.
What Is Twitter’s Stand?
Although Facebook and Twitter have long been rivals, Meta’s plan to launch a “text-sharing app” coincides with a period of unprecedented transformation for Twitter.
Since billionaire Musk took over the company in October, the site has witnessed disruptions, layoffs, and an exodus of advertising.
Twitter is apparently working with a skeleton crew at the moment, following widespread layoffs and many employee walkouts that resulted in the loss of nearly two-thirds of its personnel. It is customary to blame reoccurring bugs on layoffs.
