Threads is expanding its test of trending topics in the app, with users in Japan set to get access to their own Trending element from later this week.
As you can see in this example, Threads will add a listing of the top five trending topics to the search tab in the app, which will provide a quick overview of what’s generating the most discussion in the app at any given time.
Well, what’s generating the most discussion and isn’t “political,” given Threads’ aversion to political content. In essence, then, the listing will reflect everything non-political that people are discussing in-stream.
Threads initially launched trending topics to U.S. users back in February, amid rising demand for a better way to stay in touch with the latest topics, in the same way that people used Twitter in the past.
For all of its various flaws, Twitter was a critical connector to real time news discussion, and the best place to get up-to-the-minute insights into everything happening in the world at any time. X now serves that same purpose, though it’s utility has been lessened due to an exodus of users away from the app, and owner Elon Musk’s own political leanings dominating discussion.
As such, Threads users are now looking to recreate similar on Threads.
As explained by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri:
“Lots of folks outside the U.S. have been asking for the “Trending Now” feature, and we’re working on bringing it to more countries. This week, we’ll begin testing the feature in Japan with a small number of people to start.”
Interestingly, Japan is a crucial market for X, with the second highest amount of regional users behind the U.S. So Threads making a push here is particularly important, and Threads adoption has been rising in the nation.
But I don’t know, I still maintain that Threads can’t win while it’s looking to restrict certain discussions in the app.
In its explanations of how it defines “political” content, Meta has said that it’s now actively limiting the reach of content that’s “likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large.”
Social topics that affect people is a ridiculously broad umbrella, and the specifics here remain pretty opaque. Ideally, Meta would prefer that users discuss uplifting topics, like pets being rescued, and babies being saved. But that also means that its trending list is not reflective of actual discussion in the real world, and what’s of relevance to users, so it’s not really that helpful at all, in a broader sense.
So I’m not sure that this will be a great addition, and again, I’m not sure that Threads will be able to maximize its success, as a challenger to X, if it’s going to maintain such restrictions.
But for now at least, that’s what Threads is going with, as it looks to bring trending topics to more regions.
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