Twitter threatens to sue Meta over Threads app: Here's why
What's the story
If there weren't enough reasons to look forward to a potential cage match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, we have a new one.
Twitter has threatened to take legal action against Meta over the latter's new Threads app. It's only been a day since Meta launched Threads.
Let's see why Twitter wants to sue the tech giant.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Threads is Meta's Twitter challenger. The app had a dream of a start with over 50 million sign-ups in 24 hours.
That is an impressive stat by any metrics. Twitter has faced competition from apps like Mastodon and Bluesky since Musk's takeover, but none of them have been as threatening as Threads.
Threads's success could affect Twitter's standing as the world's premier microblogging platform.
Letter
Twitter lawyer Alex Spiro sent a warning letter to Zuckerberg
Alex Spiro, Twitter and Musk's lawyer, warned Meta about a potential lawsuit in a letter addressed to Zuckerberg.
Spiro accused Meta of engaging in "systemic, wilful, and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter's trade secrets and intellectual property." He is referring to Threads's similarity to Twitter.
The Instagram-based app is a clone of the Musk-owned platform and Twitter has taken offense to that.
Copycat
Twitter accused Meta of poaching ex-Twitter employees
According to Spiro, Meta hired dozens of former Twitter employees to develop Threads. They had and continue to have access to Twitter's trade secrets and other confidential information, he said.
He alleged that these employees were tasked with developing a Twitter "copycat" in violation of state and federal laws.
Ex-Twitter employees violated their ongoing obligations to the company, he added.
Action
Twitter wants Meta to take immediate steps
Twitter threatened to take legal action against Meta in the form of "both civil remedies and injunctive relief."
It demanded Meta take "immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information." There won't be further notice from Twitter's side, Spiro added.
The letter is an indication that Twitter sees Threads as a legitimate challenger.
Response
Meta seems to be unfazed about Twitter's letter
In response to Twitter's accusation, Meta's communications director Andy Stone wrote on Threads, "No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee - that's just not a thing."
Meanwhile, Musk endorsed Spiro's letter on Twitter. In reply to a post about the letter, the billionaire said, "Competition is fine, cheating is not."