Head of Instagram says Threads API is being developed

Image Credits: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg / Getty Images

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced today that a Threads API is being developed. Developers will then have the opportunity to craft unique applications and experiences centered around Threads. Journalist Casey Newton was discussing a Threads experience that resembled TweetDeck with a user when Mosseri responded. The head of Instagram voiced concerns about publishers uploading a ton of content and so overshadowing content created by creators.

“We’re working on it. My concern is that it’ll mean a lot more publisher content and not much more creator content, but it still seems like something we need to get done,” Mosseri said in a post .

A Threads engineer later stated that that team would A Threads engineer later stated that that team would

For automatic posting on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media platforms, news organizations have traditionally depended on third-party technologies and integrations with various social networks. Publishers must manually upload content because APIs are not available on more recent platforms like Threads, which is inconvenient for news companies that publish a large number of articles every day. Although Mosseri worries about publishers using API integration to push too much content, creators also want diverse tools to post different kinds of content. If an API integration is available, it also simplifies the process for developers to design features that are appropriate for a certain platform. With social networks like Reddit and Twitter (now X) making it harder for outside developers to develop clients, Threads may be able to open up its API and foster a more robust app ecosystem. Although competitor networks like Bluesky and Mastodon have lower user bases than Threads, developers have nonetheless released a few apps for them.

Just about 100 million people use Threads each month, according to Meta, which stated as much earlier this week. Although they will provide avenues for users to explore the network in different ways, an API and an ecosystem of third-party apps won't guarantee an increase in that figure. Several features have been released by the Threads teams in the months following debut. On the other hand, developers can release functionality that customers desire if an ecosystem of third-party apps is in place.

Additionally, Threads integration with the fediverse has been discussed by Meta and Mosseri. So, a step in the right direction toward achieving that objective would be an open ecosystem with a well-maintained API.