In the run-up to Instagram launching Threads earlier this week - its “civil”, text-based alternative to Twitter - billionaire Elon Musk has criticised the rival app looking to compete with the platform he bought back in October for $44bn by calling out the amount of data it may collect on users. Now, after the Meta-run platform is out in the wild, Musk appears to be so riled up by its runaway success (Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg reported 10 million sign-ups in the first seven hours after launch) that he’s threatening to sue Meta over what he considers “cheating”. News website Semafor shared a letter from Twitter lawyer Alex Spiro, in which he writes that the bird app has “serious concerns” Zuckerberg’s company has carried out “systemic, wilful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property”. It reads: “Over the past year, Meta has hired dozens of former Twitter employees. Twitter knows that these employees previously worked at Twitter; that these employees had and continue to have access to Twitter’s trade secrets and other highly confidential information; that these employees owe ongoing obligations to Twitter; and that many of these employees have improperly retained Twitter documents and electronic devices. “With that knowledge, Meta deliberately assigned these employees to develop, in a matter of months, Meta’s copycat ‘Threads’ app with the specific intent that they use Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property in order to accelerate the development of Meta’s competing app, in violation of both state and federal law as well as those employees’ ongoing obligations to Twitter. “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Crikey. Appearing to confirm the legal threat following Semafor’s report, Musk tweeted: “Competition is fine, cheating is not.” The remark has since been met with heavy ridicule: Meanwhile, Meta’s communication director, Andy Stone has taken to Threads to state: “No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee – that’s just not a thing.” The Musk-Zuckerberg feud very much continues, though, to the extent there are continued rumours the two tech moguls could partake in a “cage fight” to settle their differences – yes, really. We’ll go and fetch the popcorn… Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

SHENZHEN, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2023--

Apple Inc. is planning a retail launch of its Vision Pro headset with appointments and in-store promotion in

SCHIO, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2023--

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2023--

Meta’s new Twitter rival Threads has racked up over five million signups within the first four hours of its launch, the tech giant’s chief Mark Zuckerberg said. Threads arrives at a particularly difficult time for Elon Musk’s Twitter. The site has faced a range of technical issues in recent days, which it has blamed on AI services scraping its site. “Threads, an Instagram app” is already listed on the App Store. It aims to take on the app with a range of features that are similar to those offered by Twitter, according to its App Store listing. “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” it reads. “Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favourite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.” It is the latest in a long line of apps to try and take over from the increasingly troubled Twitter in offering text-based updates. Read More Meta responds to Elon Musk’s lawsuit threat as Threads becomes most rapidly downloaded app Mark Zuckerberg trolls Elon Musk by posting Spider-Man meme on Twitter after launching rival Threads People cannot leave Instagram’s Threads app without deleting their whole account, rules warn I tried Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter rival, Threads – I’m not impressed

JAKARTA, Indonesia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2023--

Meta has responded to Elon Musk’s lawsuit threat against its new platform Threads saying that none of the staff working on the app are former Twitter employees. On Thursday, Twitter threatened Meta with legal action over its new social media app Threads, claiming it is a “copycat” platform it built by hiring former Twitter staff. Since its roll out, Meta’s text-based platform built in partnership with Instagram, has racked up tens of millions signups, seemingly becoming the most rapidly downloaded app ever and the most popular Twitter alternative yet. Just hours after its launch, however, Twitter attorney Alex Spiro sent a letter to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg arguing that his company was guilty of “systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property”, according to Semafor. “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information,” Mr Spiro said in the letter. “Twitter reserves all rights, including, but not limited to, 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,” the attorney added. Mr Spiro alleged that Meta hired dozens of former Twitter staff who “had and continue to have access to Twitter’s trade secrets and other highly confidential information”. He said “Meta’s copycat ‘Threads’ app” was built with the “specific intent” that they use “Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property “in order to accelerate the development of Meta’s competing app”. The attorney argued that this was “in violation of both state and federal law as well as those employees’ ongoing obligations to Twitter”. Andy Stone, Meta’s communications director, responded to the claims on Friday saying that the Threads engineering team does not have any former Twitter employee. “To be clear: No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee – that’s just not a thing,” Mr Stone wrote on Threads. Mr Musk reponded to Twitter threatening Meta with a lawsuit saying: “Competition is fine, cheating is not.” Read More What is Threads? All your questions about Meta's new Twitter rival, answered. Threads is already more than three times bigger than every Twitter rival combined I tried Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter rival, Threads – I’m not impressed Mark Zuckerberg accused of hypocrisy for shielding children’s faces in Instagram post Kim Kardashian, Rylan Clark and Dalai Lama among those joining new app Threads Twitter threatens legal action against Meta over new ‘Threads’ app

Here's how to find The Breaker of Worlds in Final Fantasy 16 and the rewards players will get for taking out the S-rank Hunt.

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 6, 2023--

Twitter is threatening Meta with a lawsuit after the blockbuster launch of Meta's new Twitter rival, Threads — in perhaps the clearest sign yet that Twitter views the app as a competitive threat.

Kim Kardashian and Rylan Clark are among some of the celebrities to have signed up for the new social media site Threads. The Meta app, from the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has a text-style format which encourages users to post updates and join public discourse. Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lama also signed up to the newly launched platform. Former Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two presenter Clark kept his first update short with a photo captioned: “Get ya threads out for the ladddsss.” Chef Gordon Ramsay, known for his Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares series, said in his post: “Is this where I find the lamb sauce?” Colombian pop singer Shakira already has one million followers on the app, whilst reality TV star and businesswoman Kardashian has one and a half million, despite a lack of posts on her profile. TV personality and model Khloe Kardashian, who is Kim’s sister, is also on the platform and posted a photo with the caption: “Oh hi my little threaders”. Other celebrities such as Paris Hilton, former One Direction members Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey, Dragons’ Den panellists Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett and former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall have also signed up. Also setting up account were American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, radio DJ Chris Moyles, Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, British singer Louise Redknapp, American rapper Jack Harlow and The Help actress Jessica Chastain. The site is connected to Instagram so usernames and verification checks can carry over so celebrities can make the move to Threads easily. Brands and companies including streaming platform Netflix, clothing retailer Pretty Little Thing and supermarket Aldi have also joined the app. Threads posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos of up to five minutes in length. On Meta’s website, the company says: “Our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.” Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, which is also text based and allows posts of up to 280 characters. The South African-born billionaire announced at the weekend that his social media platform would be temporarily limiting the number of tweets people can read in a day, as thousands of users reported problems accessing the site. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Mastercard helping banks predict scams before money leaves customers’ accounts Art historian helps build new Assassin’s Creed game after son’s suggestion Twitter to stop TweetDeck access for unverified users