Meta's Mark Zuckerberg reveals that Threads has over 130 million monthly users: Report

Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that Threads, Meta's X ( formerly Twitter) competitor app, has experienced substantial growth since its summer launch, surpassing its initial surge in downloads, according to a report by AdAge.

During Meta's quarterly conference call, Zuckerberg provided an update on the app, revealing that Threads now has over 130 million monthly users.

Concurrently, Zuckerberg discussed Meta's AI aspirations and its impact across the entire company. Meta also disclosed a substantial surge in fourth-quarter ad revenue, with a notable 24% increase, reaching $38.7 billion.

In reference to Threads, he appeared to subtly critique rival X, previously known as Twitter and owned by billionaire Elon Musk. He hinted that Threads boasted a more polite user base compared to Musk's X, which is known for its more direct and candid conversations.

“I’m optimistic that we can keep the pace of improvement and growth going [on Threads]. And show that a friendly, discussion-oriented app can be as widely used as the most popular social apps,” Zuckerberg said.

He also added, “Every business will have an AI that their customers can interact with to buy goods and get support."

As of December 31, Meta's workforce stood at 67,317, marking a 22% decrease from the previous year. Zuckerberg emphasised the benefits of operating as a more streamlined company, noting that the leaner structure enhances execution speed. “Being a leaner company is helping us execute better and faster and we will continue to carry these values forward as a permanent part of how we operate,” he said.

Meta revealed its inaugural quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share, along with a $50 billion augmentation in its share buyback initiatives. Despite these positive developments, Meta's report highlighted a drawback as it sustained losses within Reality Labs, the metaverse division spearheaded by Zuckerberg to advance next-gen technology like virtual reality devices. Zuckerberg still remains optimistic about the synergy between AI and the metaverse.