Adam Mosseri details Threads' fediverse plans, including following non-Threads accounts, showing replies from other platforms, and follower portability

The head of Instagram says a full integration with the fediverse could take ‘the better part of a year.’

The Verge 2023-12-16 Jay Peters

Context & Ripple Effects

Threads had already positioned itself as a contender for broad public conversation, while Mosseri acknowledged that an API could change its content mix. The fediverse roadmap extends that ambition beyond a standalone app by making outside accounts and conversations part of the product surface.

The plan is notable because it pairs interoperability with portability: Threads would not merely syndicate posts, but aim to let people retain social connections across services. Later related coverage shows the path moved through a limited federation beta and eventually following some fediverse accounts, underscoring that this was an incremental integration rather than a single switch-on.

First-order effects

Threads’ proposed product scope expands to following non-Threads accounts, displaying cross-platform replies, and carrying followers between services; these are planned capabilities, not immediate availability.
For users and federated services, follower portability would reduce the cost of trying another compatible platform if Threads implements it as described.

Second-order effects

Federated platforms would gain a potential distribution route into Threads, while Threads would have to reconcile outside identities, replies, and relationship data within its own interface.
A portable follower graph could make the API concerns Mosseri raised in Threads’ API discussion more consequential: third-party publishing and interoperability could broaden what appears around Threads conversations.

Third-order effects

If large social platforms adopt meaningful account and audience portability, competition may shift from solely capturing users inside one app to competing on client experience, moderation, and discovery across shared networks.
The durable constraint is implementation: partial federation can expose outside profiles and engagement without delivering a fully portable social graph, so the degree of openness remains the key industry question.

The trend: This is one data point in the push toward interoperable social networks, where portability and federation challenge the traditional value of locked-in audience graphs.

Discussion

@mosseri Adam Mosseri on threads
Fediverse update thread 🔔🧵 For those of you who don't know, @Threads is being built on the ActivityPub protocol, which means that it will be interoperable with other apps/servers like Mastodon over time. …
@mosseri Adam Mosseri on threads
We are working to make this option available to all public accounts on Threads, not just a handful of testers. We're starting small to make sure we have time to work through all the challenges, as our systems historically have been not been designed with this use case in mind.
@benedictevans Benedict Evans on threads
I am not entirely sure I'm happy about my posts spreading out into some of the cesspits I've seen on mastodon, without giving me any of the controls over toxic behaviour that Threads has. At a minimum, ‘block any other account they make’ is a great way to silence trolls - how do…
@datadrivenmd Jorge Caballero on threads
2/ Please trust that we have tried to solve the problem many, many different ways— including by trying every obvious solution out there— on several occasions. If the problem were easy to solve, it would have been solved by now. The reason we bring up the problem in a public for…
@mattbirchler Matt Birchler on threads
The largest mastodon instance by far (mastodon.social) will federate with Threads immediately, and they have been enthusiastic about it from the jump. In fact, most instances will federate with Threads, but there are a few that won't because they fundamentally hate Meta (somethi…
@ben_adida Ben Adida on threads
I think Threads federating via ActivityPub could really be a big deal. I'm with @anildash, we could well see a big resurgence of the open web. That's very exciting for human progress.
@countablenewt @countablenewt on threads
While @threads starts joining the fediverse, some Mastodon instances are preemptively blocking any threads account from interoperating with their server Some real “no girls allowed in my fort” level stuff going on over there https://fedipact.veganism.social/ here's the status of …
@datadrivenmd Jorge Caballero on threads
I love the vibes on Threads, I really do. And it would be so much better if, when a member of a marginalized community says there's a need to address a problem that uniquely affects their community, folks would avoid the urge to: - explain why it's not actually a problem …
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on threads
Glad to see the entire fediverse roadmap for Threads laid out. Mastodon and other Fediverse users will be able to follow Threads users and vice versa. You will also be able to see comments from Fediverse users on your federated posts in Threads. …
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on threads
We are on the cusp of creating a world where it will be normalized for Mastodon users to follow Threads users and where it will feel strange that a Threads user can't follow a Twitter user. This is the a vision that many of us have been pushing Meta on for at least 15 years (rem…
@ianbetteridge Ian Betteridge on threads
I would, on balance, want to be part of a Mastodon instance which federates with Threads. I also, 100%, absolutely support any individual or instance that doesn't want to, for whatever reason. That is what federation is about. Freedom of association and assembly are as fundame…
@gucci @gucci on threads
We've landed on Threads. What would you like to see here?
@datadrivenmd Jorge Caballero on threads
The reason I am calling this out *specifically* is because I have yet to learn of any attempt by Meta to engage fediverse community leaders who can speak directly to the issue of targeted harassment of Black, Hispanic, and Native persons on Mastodon and the fediverse at large. …
@mosseri Adam Mosseri on threads
We also plan to make it so replies from people in the Fediverse can show up for people posting from Threads to the Fediverse. It's a bad experience now that I have to leave the Threads app to see replies I'm getting from the broader community.
@mmasnick Michael Masnick on threads
Again, it's very, very good to see Meta following through on this promise (especially after years of people there insisting to me that the company would never do something like this). It's good to see they were wrong.
@timdorr Tim Dorr on threads
Mastodon server admins: *starts a new social network instance* Users: *be social* Mastodon server admins: No, not like that!
@mikehos3 Mike on threads
This exclusivity and exclusionary mindset is reminiscent of behvior displayed by admins in Web 1.0 or even IRC or Usenet. The fabric of Internet has changed, people want inclusion and to be a part of discussion. I can't help but to think Bluesky's argument for being invite-only…
@edzollars Edward Zollars on threads
One big issue I see coming up next is if Meta, as I expect they will, begin putting Mastodon posts into the “For You” feed of those who aren't following the Mastodon user. That's a no win for Meta in many ways—do it and there will be those upset with their data being used (and t…
@edzollars Edward Zollars on threads
Note that due to the small number of users on all the Mastodon servers vs. those on Threads, the impact on Threads will likely be limited. That's especially true if following those on Mastodon will face the hurdles that already exist on Mastodon to follow someone you don't alrea…
@edzollars Edward Zollars on threads
I think that Eugen Rochko has always seen as the goal true interoperability between services (just as we no longer have email silos), but until now that really wasn't something that been close to realization. The Mastodon people used up to now had a very small number of users wh…
@zanoniguilherme Guilherme Zanoni on threads
That's really not what Mastodon admins think tho, their concerns are all about Meta's predatory past, privacy violations, stuff like that. It's not about having a small network, it's about having a safe network
@davew Dave Winer on threads
There's another possibility — assuming Threads implements AP fully and delivers actual peering with Mastodon (I understand this involves more than AP support) — that people say “I'll just use Threads.” I'm *sure* that's what Facebook expects to happen. And they'll have a lot of…
@rick.williams84 Rick Williams on threads
Also, the people who think the future of the internet is federation, while thinking they can keep the biggest players on the sideline are delusional. Personally I'd like to see a mix of more companies offering large scale options to connect to ActivityPub …
@shayonpal Shayon Pal on threads
The major problem is not the choice, but rather the choice of the one in power. A particular instance might have hundreds of thousands of users, but the one taking the decision is just 2-3 mods of the instance.
@l.m.orchard Les Orchard on threads
Also I don't quite understand this urge to pressure / bully / taunt folks all into the same social media pressure cooker. Freedom of association includes freedom not to associate. If folks want to decide the shape of their network, more power to them. …
@mark_squires_wine Mark Squires on threads
Well put. Meta has a long way to go to earn trust from a lot of Mastodon users. They (we) are there for something different, not to be absorbed. There needs to be some reassurance that it's not going to change. Let Meta be changed by the fediverse, not the other way around.
@anildash Anil Dash on threads
The fediverse (and all open systems) are about giving people choices, and giving communities power. Being able to block Facebook/Meta from connecting is a *demonstration* of that power...I also think Meta has caused unforgivable harms. Being able to have communities outside of …
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on threads
Mastodon founder, Eugen Rochko, praises Threads entry into the fediverse because it makes Mastodon “a far more attractive option.” This is fairly obvious and basic network effects since both Threads & Mastodon become more valuable as their users can now share content across thes…
@datadrivenmd Jorge Caballero on threads
This timeline makes a lot of sense from a technical standpoint. What is missing from this thread is an acknowledgement that user safety on Threads will be challenged by inbound traffic from the fediverse — particularly as it relates to harassment of marginalized communities. …
@mosseri Adam Mosseri on threads
We also plan to build support for Threads users to follow Fediverse accounts, so that content can flow from the Fediverse back into Threads. There's a fair amount to figure out with regards to privacy and integrity, but we're actively working through those issues.
@datadrivenmd Jorge Caballero on threads
Speaking from the Mastodon side of things: 1) the sheer potential volume of data from Threads -> Mastodon could easily overwhelm the receiving server, and that would then create a delivery backlog for Threads 2) ActivityPub is easy to exploit from a security standpoint 3) …
@mosseri Adam Mosseri on threads
Eventually, it should also be possible to enable creators to leave Threads and take their followers with them to another app/server. I believe that it's important that creators own their relationship with their audience.
@oracleclyde @oracleclyde on threads
Yep. It's a hard thing to integrate. I've read the specs for ActivityPub, and it support a lot of things and the logic translation layer has to be carefully done. You're federating with independent nodes so the risk of bad state actors and criminals polluting the feeds is some…
@mrcalifornian @mrcalifornian on threads
Very excited for this, and I hope the ignorant people who don't understand that their public account is already public don't discourage progress. I respect Meta, IG, Threads, and @mosseri a ton for the emphasis on being able to take your audience with you …
@cjfoster95 C.j. Foster on threads
The idea is it allows the nature of a service like Threads or Mastodon to be open for more people and allow information to flow more freely between people. The idea is if you prefer one over the other you have the ability to migrate everything to the other and basically you own …
@pettijohn Travis Pettijohn on threads
Huge (and very un-Facebook). Threads data (will be) accessible with an open protocol and not locked into the platform.
@lscottspencer Scott Spencer on threads
Will this be optional is the most important question? I don't want my Threads account on Mastodon or any other part of the Fediverse. Just here. On the Threads server.
@broximar Jesse on threads
Love seeing that verified checkmark for Threads on Mastodon. (Mastodon does self-verification)
@0xjessel @0xjessel on threads
fun story: rel=me link verification on threads happened only because @timothyjchambers suggested this idea one day and it was easy enough for me (as someone who doesn't code much anymore) to implement it. this feature is going to be more crucial as more users start to federate a…
@realmatthopkins Matt Hopkins on threads
The decentralization of social media will have positive, and negative, repercussions. The big question remains how illegal activity, abusive activity, and propaganda will be addressed. socialmedia
@plymsquid Liam Dawe on threads
Can't wait to see how it goes. Being open is the future and makes Threads a more ideal place to be than the likes of X. Just don't pull the rug in a few years eh?
@darnell Darnell Clayton on threads
I was able to follow your account via my Mastodon, Misskey & PixelFed accounts (as well as @0xjessel & @christophersu). My question is: will you consider a public beta where people can sign up in larger numbers & test ActivityPub integration from their own @threads accounts‽
@ben_woodward Ben Woodward on threads
the problem is my data is feasibly being copied into mastodon instances against my wishes, not that my posts are public
@_.dumi Bogdan Dumitrescu on threads
is threads defederalises, sure. hope you're aware everything on threads is already public, no? being federalised doesn't make any difference
@ben_woodward Ben Woodward on threads
@mosseri is it possible to opt-out of having my posts copied into random mastodon databases across the internet?
@thatadamguy Adam Lasnik on threads
I'm disappointed that mas.to is currently blocking Threads though thankfully it's more of a wait and see vs FU from the server admin
@cynicalelysian Chibueze Anakor on threads
Seems like mas.to (my current Mastodon server) has pre-emptively defederated from Threads. As someone who actually wants to see what Threads's adoption of ActivityPub looks like, I guess it's time to change servers yet again. 🙄 Apologies to all of my followers on there. …
@merritmd Merrit DeBartolo on threads
A cursory scroll through Mastodon is giving me the impression that many Mastodonians intend to block threads[.]net once Threads integrates with the fediverse in earnest. This makes me wonder just how much visibility Threads posts will ultimately have on Mastodon 🧐
@Gargron@mastodon.social Eugen Rochko on mastodon
If for whatever reason you never wish to interact with #Threads, you can personally block it for your account. This hides all posts and profiles from Threads, prevents anyone from Threads from following you, and stops your posts from being delivered to or fetched by Threads. …
@ricmac@mastodon.social Richard MacManus on mastodon
It's ok to hold two opposing opinions in your mind at the same time, if the larger truth is more important. I don't trust Zuck / Meta, but I also want them to federate with Mastodon. Even if they play power games later on, you can always jump to an instance that blocks them. …
@blaine@mastodon.social Blaine on mastodon
While I fully, really, completely get all the arguments on every side around Meta implementing ActivityPub, I'll confess to not understanding the profound concern that this will kill the fediverse. — Federated social media never “belonged” to anyone. Feel free to block Threads…
@blaine@mastodon.social Blaine on mastodon
For me, the project of federation wasn't to create a global utopia, or even a local one — that's a project that no protocol or technology could possibly enable, and anyone selling that is a fraud. — In goal of federation as I see it is to give people choices; choices that were …
@blakereid@mastodon.lawprofs.org Blake E. Reid on mastodon
If Meta follows through on federation, count me out here. I think pro-Threads tech pundits are giving Meta an enormous pass on its long history of privacy and content moderation sins. I will flat out never use a platform that requires me to interact with Meta in this way. https…

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