What we know so far about Instagram's Twitter rival
Instagram is reportedly working on a text-based social media app to compete with Twitter.
Since Elon Musk purchased Twitter last year, numerous debacles including the disastrous Twitter Blue verification rollout, changes to content moderation, and numerous bugs affecting core functionality have turned off both users and advertisers. For Instagram, Twitter's struggles might be an opportunity to swoop in with a better alternative.
Officially, the only thing Instagram has said is that it's "exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates." But leaked details have emerged to give us a clearer picture of what it might look like. Here's what been surfaced so far.
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We might see 'Project 92' soon as this summer
According to initial reports from Lia Haberman's ICYMI Substack, the app, codenamed "Project 92" might be announced in late June. A more recent report from The Verge says Instagram is working on availability "as soon as we can." Whatever the case, Project 92 seems to be a priority for Instagram and its parent company Meta.
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It's compatible with Instagram and other apps
The Twitter competitor will be integrated with Instagram so that users with existing Instagram accounts will be able to carry over certain preferences like who they've blocked and who they follow. According to Haberman and The Verge, because the app is decentralized, users will be able to bring their accounts and following to external apps like Mastodon.
It looks a lot like Twitter
From leaked screenshots, Project 92 has a very similar interface to Twitter's. Images show a scrollable feed of text-based posts that users can like, comment, repost, and share. Posts reportedly have a limit of up to 500 characters, which is more than Twitter posts, but shorter than Instagram posts.
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The platform will be 'sanely run'
At an all-hands meeting on Thursday, Meta employees were given a preview of the app. Per The Verge, Meta executive Chris Cox basically took a direct shot at Elon Musk, saying, "We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution." That's a bit rich coming from the company run by this guy, but we get the point.
DJ Slime, Oprah, and the Dalai Lama might be rubbing shoulders
The same Verge report also says the company is working on committing high-profile creators and celebrities to kickstart the launch of the platform. This might include musical artist DJ Slime, Oprah, and the Dalai Lama. We never though we'd hear Oprah and DJ Slime in the same sentence, so it seems like they're casting a wide net for promoters.
Cecily is a tech reporter at Mashable who covers AI, Apple, and emerging tech trends. Before getting her master's degree at Columbia Journalism School, she spent several years working with startups and social impact businesses for Unreasonable Group and B Lab. Before that, she co-founded a startup consulting business for emerging entrepreneurial hubs in South America, Europe, and Asia. You can find her on X at @cecily_mauran.
