Threads expands reach, allows sharing to fediverse in 100+ countries
Threads, Instagram's competitor to X (Twitter), is broadening its reach into the fediverse, a collective social network that includes apps like Mastodon and PeerTube running on the ActivityPub protocol. Meta, Instagram's parent company, has announced that it is extending its beta for sharing to the fediverse for Threads users aged 18 and above with public accounts in global markets. Initially launched in March, this beta was previously available only in three countries: the US, Canada, and Japan.
Sharing to fediverse is now accessible in over 100 countries
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Threads that the option to turn on sharing to the fediverse is now accessible in over 100 countries globally. Alongside this expansion, Meta is also emphasizing user education about the fediverse. Within Threads, Meta provides an explainer that defines the fediverse as a network of interconnected servers and educates users on how sharing works while answering basic questions.
Meta enhances interaction with wider fediverse
Meta is now enabling authors of federated posts to like and view replies from the broader fediverse. However, the feature to respond to these replies is not yet live. As part of this beta experience, once users opt-in for fediverse sharing, their Threads posts will be visible on Mastodon, and likes and responses from Mastodon and the fediverse will be directly accessible on Threads.
Activating fediverse sharing in Threads: A step-by-step guide
To enable fediverse sharing in Threads, users must select the option labeled "Fediverse Sharing (Beta)" in their Account Settings. This option also provides instructions and a link to Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy. Instagram stated in an email to TechCrunch, "Our goal remains to grow the fediverse responsibly, prioritizing the success of a safe, diverse, content-rich, and interoperable community."
