Reuters Meta Platforms plans to launch a Twitterrivalling microblogging app called Threads, days after Twitter boss Elon Musk attracted criticism by announcing a temporary cap on how many posts users can read on the social media site.

Threads is expected to be released on Thursday and will allow users to retain followers from photosharing platform Instagram, and keep the same username, a listing on Apple39;s App Store showed.

The rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has faced numerous controversies since Musk bought the company for 44 billion in 2022.

Last week, the Tesla billionaire announced a slate of new restrictions on the app, limiting the number of tweets users could view per day, prompting outcry from many on the platform.

While alternative microblogging sites such as Mastodon and Blue Sky have seen an uptick in user numbers since Musk39;s acquisition, neither has been able to challenge Twitter.

But Instagram already has hundreds of millions of registered users and has a history of introducing new features based on the success of other social media firms.

In 2016, it added a feature called stories to Instagram, or user posts that disappear after a fixed amount of time, in response to the rising popularity of Snapchat.

More recently, the company39;s shortform video feature Reels has sought to challenge the rise of TikTok.

The launch of Threads represents a credible threat to Twitter under Musk, whose attempts to boost revenues and…