Instagram is about to launch a new application similar to Twitter

Does Elon Musk have anything to worry about? The project is still top secret, but according to the Bloomberg agency, Instagram is developing a new application similar to Twitter to compete with the platform now owned by the Tesla boss. According to the agency, the launch of the application – which currently has no known name – could even take place by June.

If this information is confirmed, Meta would cover four different services, since Mark Zuckerberg’s group already operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. But this application would be the second only to be created internally since the birth of Facebook in 2004, Instagram and WhatsApp having been acquired by Facebook respectively. in 2012 And 2014.

It would also mark a change of DNA for Meta, because the group has always abandoned current events and politics to focus on lifestyle and exchanges between friends. For now, Instagram is reportedly working on this project with a handful of influencers and content creators. But none could have access to the new service in its entirety, still reports the Bloomberg agency.

Twitter is no longer a “high risk” platform

With this new application, Meta hopes to recover users and advertisers worried about the chaotic management of Twitter since its $44 billion takeover by Elon Musk last year. The billionaire has caused trouble by eliminating up to 80% of the workforce, by reauthorizing Donald Trump on the platform or by charging for the little blue notches that once certified the authenticity of the Twitter accounts of public figures.

In this context, many brands are now concerned that their ads will appear next to hateful or toxic messages. Elon Musk has also alienated several major media, such as the BBC or the American public radio NPR after equating them with “government-funded” media. »

In the meantime, the appointment of Linda Yaccarino, a former advertiser who will become general manager of Twitter before the summer, has certainly allayed the fears of advertisers. As of last week, GroupM, one of the largest media agencies, considers Twitter no longer a “high risk” platform for its clients.

Twitter disappointed

However, Elon Musk’s positions continue to cause concern. Last week, the billionaire was accused of anti-Semitic remarks after he compared George Soros to Magneto, the “villain” of the X-Men comics who — like George Soros — is a Holocaust survivor. Soros “wants to erode the very fabric of civilization. He hates humanity,” Musk tweeted, before apologizing.

It remains to be seen what form Instagram’s new service will take. And if it manages to become a political crossroads, facing platforms like Reddit or Mastodon who also want to seduce the “disappointed” of Twitter.