Threads Is Working on an API For Developers
Threads is reportedly working on an API.
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, responded to a conversation on Threads yesterday regarding creating a TweetDeck-like experience for the platform and said the company was working on an API, Engadget spotted.
“We’re working on it,” he said. “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.”
An API would allow third-party developers to create services that tie to the platform, ultimately making it a bigger part of user’s lives. For instance, the API could be used to automatically share emergency alerts or the weather. It could also come in handy for news publishers.
Previously Mosseri has indicated that the company doesn’t plan to amplify news. A few weeks ago he said:
“We’re not anti-news. News is already on Threads. People can share news; people can follow accounts that share news. We’re not going to get in the way of any either. But, we’re also not going go to amplify news on the platform. To do so would be too risky given the maturity of the platform, the downsides of over-promising, and the stakes.”
Making an API available would make Threads a more viable alternative to X for publishers who want to share and amplify stories on their websites.
Historically Facebook has had issues with news being shared on its platform, specifically in ensuring that the news shared is accurate and is not amplifying misinformation, which may explain its reluctance to making news a central focus on the platform. A study found that Facebook was the largest distributor of fake news during the 2016 election.
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