Twitter has threatened to take legal action against Meta and its new app, Threads, over intellectual property concerns, as reported by news column Semafor.
Cited as a ‘Twitter Killer’ app, Threads is a brand new app launched by Meta, also known as the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Poised as a direct competitor to text-based app Twitter, Threads garnered 30 million users on the day of its launch.
Twitter has taken note of the similarities between both apps and is now accusing Meta of hiring former employees in creating Threads. The company, recently acquired by Tesla mogul Elon Musk, accused former employees of still having access to Twitter’s trade secrets and highly confidential information. Twitter also accused Meta of ill intent in using such information to further develop its own app.
Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, has denied Twitter’s accusations. Stone states Thread was developed organically and without the utilisation of Twitter’s trade secrets. Furthermore, Stone also clarifies that no Threads employee has previously hired by Twitter.
In a letter sent to Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s lawyer Alex Spiro wrote:
‘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.’
The letter points towards Threads as a copycat app of Twitter, noting that its launch is a ‘systematic, willful and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property.’
It is unclear and unreported if a lawsuit will take place upon Twitter’s accusations.
Threads is designed to be the text version of photo-sharing platform Instagram. Meta intends for the app to be ‘a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.’
The app was launched this week in more than 100 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.