News

Meta’s Twitter Competitor, Threads, Is Available Today

The new platform uses your Instagram login and allows 500-character text posts, as well as photos, videos, and links.

Published

3 years ago

July 6, 2023

meta's twitter competitor threads is available today

Threads, the Twitter competitor created by Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, has finally launched after months of rumors and leaks. The platform can be accessed from a desktop site at Threads.net or via iOS and Android apps.

Threads allows users to create Twitter-style text posts of up to 500 characters plus share photos and videos of up to five minutes as well as links. The app looks much like Twitter, including a minimal interface with options to like, comment, repost, and share content. Because Threads is closely linked to Instagram, users can log in with their existing credentials and easily follow the same people from that platform.

threads screen 1

The main feed on Threads features recommended content and posts from followed profiles, while a filter system allows users to block out certain words and limit who can reply to their threads.

threads screen 2

Meta has decided not to add Threads support for ActivityPub right now. The decentralized social networking protocol — used by Mastodon and others — would allow the transfer of information from Threads to other hosts, among other functions.

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“We believe this decentralized approach, similar to the protocols governing email and the web itself, will play an important role in the future of online platforms,” Meta explained. “Threads is Meta’s first app envisioned to be compatible with an open social networking protocol — we hope that by joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads will help people find their community, no matter what app they use”.

The launch of Threads comes as Twitter users experience yet more drama. Elon Musk recently imposed a temporary rate limit for unverified users, limiting them to 600 daily post views. At one point, Twitter also blocked logged-out users from viewing tweets entirely before subtly reversing the decision shortly afterwards.

As for Threads, the app is available in over 100 countries — including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia — and has already been downloaded over 5 million times. Notably, the platform won’t be available in the European Union due to the complexities of complying with the region’s strict data protection regulations.

News

Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform

Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.

Published

4 days ago

May 5, 2026

Joanna Melki

lebanon ministers meet visa over national digital payment platform

Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.

The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.

The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.

Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.

Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.

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Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.

“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.

Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.