Threads is going deeper into the fediverse, the interconnected social platform ecosystem based on an open protocol called ActivityPub that includes apps such as Mastodon and BookWyrm.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that starting Wednesday, Threads users can follow people from other fediverse servers who have interacted with federated users or posts on Threads. More interconnected features are on the way, he added.
The fediverse, as Instagram puts it, is a global, open, social network of independent servers that are operated by third parties around the world. The servers, which can be thought of as an individual platform, share information with each other. Think of it like your Threads, Instagram, and TikTok all being interoperable, so you could post something and all of your followers everywhere could see it.
Instagram has long looked to federate Threads and has been working to roll out certain features, putting it closer to becoming the most well-known ActivityPub app. (Mastodon likely is the second.) Threads in March opened a beta that allowed users in the U.S., Canada, and Japan to cross-post a view’s likes from other federated social networks. It expanded that ability to more than 100 countries in June.
“Our vision is for Threads to enable communication between you and people on other servers we don’t own or control,” Instagram wrote in a blog post. “This means that your Threads profile can be followed by people using different servers on the fediverse, and eventually, you’ll be able to follow them from Threads.”
To be sure, Instagram and other fediverse-focused projects still have a long way to go when it comes to getting in the public conversation. The fediverse is a confusing, complicated endeavor that will require a change in how users view social media. It will also require platforms, such as Instagram, to educate the masses on what it all means.
A handful of users seemed excited about the fediverse expansion. But several were confused on what it meant.
“Can someone explain how fediverse works?” one user responded to Mosseri’s announcement. “No clue of understanding fediverse. Is it something I should have on here in Threads? How does it help me as creator? I had it on originally and turned it off recently,” another said.
“Simplicity always rules the day. Nothing simple about this,” said another user.
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