Iranians Migrate From Twitter To Threads in Millions

In the swiftest social media platform migration ever witnessed, millions of Iranian Twitter users have flocked to Threads following its launch on July 6.

Threads, a microblogging platform provided by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has attracted a significant number of Iranian users. Instagram, already a popular social media platform in Iran with over 24 million users according to state officials, may contribute a substantial user base to Threads. Moreover, many frustrated Twitter users, who have been displeased with recent ad-hoc changes on the platform, are also making the switch.

Twitter's implementation of new restrictions and changes, such as reducing the number of tweets users can read to 300 (although "verified" users paying a monthly fee have access to more), has drawn constant complaints from Iranian users. Although Twitter later increased the limit, the damage was already done, and many users began considering a move away from the platform.

Alternative options for Iranian users included Mastodon, which is less popular than Twitter, and Blue Sky, a platform in the beta stage that accepts new members by invitation only. Last week, many Iranians were searching for Blue Sky invite codes, although invitations are limited to one per current user every two weeks.

In 2020, Fars News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, estimated that there were approximately 49 million Iranian accounts on Telegram, 47 million on Instagram, and 2 million on Twitter. Since then, the number of Twitter users must have significantly increased, especially during the anti-government protests in 2022 and 2023, during which the platform became a vital resource for debates and information sharing.

By mid-day London Time on Thursday, more than 20 million users had joined Threads, including between one and two million from Iran, according to UK-based Media Metrics Limited, which also said accurate metrics is challenging, as most Iranians use virtual private networks (VPNs) to conceal their location from the watchful eyes of repressive security forces. VPNs make it appear as if these users are based in countries other than Iran, where social media is strictly banned by the government.

A Threads user named Rasul Asadzadeh expressed in his first post, "From Yahoo! Messenger to Threads. Social media has provided us with a platform to voice our grievances. Hey Freedom! Give us back the echo of our voice. Our hair is turning white."

Meanwhile, in Tehran, by mid-day (early morning in London), when the number of Threads members reached ten million, a user going by the pseudonym Hazer Javabi stated, "Believe me, seven million of them are from Iran."

Tehran has concerns about the organizing and mobilizing power of social media, particularly in light of the increased number and strength of opposition groups and citizens opposing the regime since the nationwide protests in 2022.

Until late June, Twitter served as the primary online venue for Iranian political activity, with virtually every political group and politically engaged individual, regardless of affiliation or agenda, active on the platform. However, as of Thursday morning, many had migrated to Threads, perhaps permanently. Others plan to maintain their Twitter accounts for a while before figuring out how to transition their followers to Threads.

Twitter had been grappling with growing concerns about the presence of trolls and bots, as political tweets often featured vulgar language and insults. A Threads user named Parham Ghobadi wrote on Thursday, "Apparently, bots and the cyber army have not arrived here yet. It's still a healthy environment."

Despite the overwhelming welcome Threads has received, users familiar with social media dynamics and cultural and political nuances in Iran predict that Blue Sky, once it surpasses the hurdles of its beta phase, will likely emerge as the biggest winner in the microblogging market. They attribute this to owner Jack Dorsey's marketing expertise, as the co-founder and former CEO of Twitter. Additionally, many Iranian users find Instagram's advertising annoying, making them hopeful that Threads' marketing strategy will differ from that of Instagram.