Meta could soon release cross-posts from Facebook to Threads

Despite quickly gaining over 100 million users, Meta’s Threads hasn’t quite captured the public’s attention the way its main rival, X/Twitter, did. It’s arguably still waiting for its “plane-on-the-Hudson” moment. Nevertheless, Meta is doing what it can to draw attention to and keep eyes on the text-based platform, including by showcasing popular threads on Facebook and Instagram.

Its latest experiment follows a familiar pattern. The company is considering allowing users to easily cross-post from Facebook to Threads. This could eventually simplify the process for heavy Facebook users and/or content creators to share their thoughts, videos, and photos on Threads with minimal effort.

Currently, some users can share text and link posts from Facebook to Threads. There’s no guarantee that Meta will make this feature permanent or expand it to include images.

It’s a logical move for Meta to give this a shot. Users have been able to post stories and Reels to Facebook and Instagram at the same time for a while now, so adding Threads to the mix makes sense. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it’s running the test, but it’s only available on iOS and not in the EU.

The opt-in approach is much better than Meta’s previous strategy of automatically sharing a user’s Threads posts on Facebook to increase awareness of the platform.

People often have different personas on Facebook and Instagram/Threads, even if they’re linked to the same account. They might not want a controversial Threads post or a risqué joke to appear in their friends’ and family’s Facebook feeds. At least this way, they’ll have the choice to share a post on both platforms.

Besides, Meta’s Oversight Board is broadening its scope to include Threads. The board announced that Threads users will now have the option to appeal Meta’s content moderation decisions, granting the independent group the power to shape policies for Meta’s latest app. This marks a significant expansion for the Oversight Board, which has previously focused on content moderation issues concerning Facebook and Instagram posts.

According to the Oversight Board, user appeals on Threads will work much like they do on Instagram and Facebook. Once users have “exhausted” Meta’s internal process, they can ask the Oversight Board for a review. As per the rules set when the board was created, Meta must implement the board’s decisions about specific posts, but it’s not required to follow its policy recommendations.