Meta to soon launch a dedicated app to rival Twitter, here is how it looks

Meta's Twitter rival is being developed under the codename Project 92. The company is already reportedly talking to notable personalities, including the Dalai Lama and Oprah, to join the platform.

By Abhik Sengupta: Meta is known for copying features from other social media apps and incorporating them across its social media platforms. Be it TikTok-inspired Reels, Snapchat-inspired Stories, or Discord-inspired Communities -- Meta's most popular apps, like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, have it all. It appears the Mark Zuckerberg-managed company has big plans, this time, to rival Twitter.

Meta has been rumoured to be working on a Twitter rival for years. Recently, a report claimed that the company might be closer to its Twitter rival, though its name remains unclear. Once the story was out, new Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to the claim by saying, "Game On."

Last week, top Meta executives showed employees a preview of their upcoming Twitter rival during a companywide meeting. The preview obtained by The Verge suggests that this would be a standalone app from Meta with Twitter-like features and interface. The platform has a codename"Project 92."

From the screenshot, it appears that Meta will let users log in with their Facebook or Instagram ID, saving them from the hassle of creating a new ID. Users can share their thoughts in a Twitter-style prompt, while others can like, comment, and re-share with or without comments (basically retweet). The screenshot further suggests that users would be able to create a thread as well, which is a series of posts one after the other.

The report also points out that the Twitter-inspired Meta app will use Instagram's account system to populate a user's information. During the meeting, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox reportedly said that the company was already working with notable personalities like Oprah and the Dalai Lama to join the platform to attract others to try the "Project 92" app.

Meta's Twitter app 

Cox added, "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."

His remarks appear to be a soft jibe at Twitter owner Elon Musk, who is in the limelight for his "hardcore" way of handling the micro-social media platform. Many analysts have openly expressed concerns about hate speech on Twitter as Musk continues to rapidly change his team and style of work, forcing many top executives to leave. Twitter has also reportedly refused to pay its Google Cloud subscription bills. Without a reputed cloud service that handles the flow of information on the platform, Twitter could be vulnerable to safety and privacy issues.

However, when it comes to safety and privacy-related matters, Meta platforms also have a patchy reputation. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Instagram's algorithms advertised the sale of illicit "child-sex material" on the platform. Meta responded that the company has strict rules for CSAM (child sexual abuse material). While the company states that it has all the guidelines and measures in place, it won't be surprising if new pages pop up daily, sharing such content.

Meta would highlight similar measures while announcing its Twitter rival, Project 92. It will be interesting to see if the Twitter-like app will offer end-to-end encryption security for DMs.