X rival Threads debuts in Malta

Threads officially launched in Malta and the rest of Europe on Thursday, marking a potential setback for X, its rival platform. 

The announcement, much anticipated by users in the region, was preceded by an intriguing countdown timer on the site earlier in the week.

Controlled by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Meta introduced Threads in July as a companion platform to Facebook and Instagram, positioning it as a direct competitor to X in the realm of short-form text communication. 

The delayed European launch, attributed to Meta's commitment to meeting unique regulatory requirements, has stirred excitement among local users.

Threads, which prides itself on fostering a more amicable and less divisive community, has garnered attention as an alternative for users disillusioned with the erratic decision-making of X's owner, Elon Musk. 

Despite a relatively smaller European user base, Threads reached approximately 100 million monthly active users by October, according to Zuckerberg.

"Today we're opening Threads to more countries in Europe. Welcome everyone," Zuckerberg said in a post on the platform acknowledging the EU launch.

In contrast to X's challenges, Threads positions itself as a platform focused on user-friendly interactions. 

Although generally well-received, some users have called for continued improvements to enhance content discovery, especially concerning news and communities of interest.

The expansion of Threads to accommodate millions more users could pose an additional hurdle for the beleaguered platform formerly known as Twitter. 

Twitter is grappling with an advertiser exodus due to concerns about hate speech and Musk's endorsement of fringe ideologies.

Zuckerberg has ambitious plans for Threads, aiming to surpass 1 billion users globally in the coming years. 

While the platform is still a considerable distance from that milestone, the EU launch brings it one step closer.

Threads initially made waves in July amid a challenging period for X, quickly accumulating millions of signups and raising questions about X's future.

However, user engagement waned shortly afterwards due to dissatisfaction with its basic features.

Since its initial debut, the platform has introduced various features, including a desktop version, a following feed, and, most recently, topic tags that simplify content discovery around specific subjects, akin to hashtags but without the symbol.