Facebook owner Meta is preparing to launch a new app to rival Twitter, which is set to go live on Thursday.
The app, called Threads, is currently available for pre-order on the Apple App Store.
Looking at the screenshots, a dashboard that bears a striking resemblance to Twitter can be seen. Meta describes the app as a "text-based conversation app" that will be linked to Instagram.
This app represents the latest rivalry between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.
Last month, the two seemed to challenge each other to a physical fight, although the seriousness of their words remains unclear.
In an apparent fresh swipe at Zuckerberg, Musk responded to a tweet about Threads by saying: "Thank goodness they're so sanely run."
Meanwhile, Twitter has announced that TweetDeck, a popular user dashboard, will become a paid application within 30 days.
This move is seen as Elon Musk's effort to encourage users to sign up for Twitter's subscription service, Twitter Blue. Additionally, the multi-billionaire has limited the number of tweets users can see, citing extreme "data scraping."
In contrast, Threads appears to be a free app with no restrictions.
The description on the App Store states: "Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow."
Other Twitter-like apps have also emerged, including Donald Trump's Truth Social, Mastodon, and Bluesky, which claim to have experienced "record" traffic following the limited tweets viewing rule.
However, Threads could prove to be the biggest challenge faced by Twitter.
As part of the Instagram platform, Threads will be connected to hundreds of millions of accounts, providing it with the necessary resources and ability to compete against Twitter.
Mark Zuckerberg has a track record of adopting ideas from other companies and successfully implementing them.
Meta's Reels is widely seen as a TikTok imitation, and Stories bear a striking resemblance to Snapchat.
While Musk has received praise from certain circles for his dedication to free speech, he has also alienated some users.
Zuckerberg, on the other hand, will be optimistic about attracting a sufficient number of dissatisfied Twitter users to establish a truly viable alternative.
