When Meta announced its new social network Threads to the world, Mark Zuckerberg’s group did not own the domain “Threads.com”. To avoid entering into direct negotiations with the company that owned it and waiting for its approval, Meta launched its social network on the domain “Threads.net”. Today, Meta has acquired the domain Threads.com and the migration to this domain could soon take place.
Threads.com is now owned by Meta
Meta has finally gotten its hands on the coveted Threads.com domain, which was once owned by a startup. The exact amount of the transaction remains confidential, but it is likely that Meta paid a substantial sum to obtain this domain name, which is considered “indispensable” for its social network.
Initially, Meta had to launch Threads via the Threads.net URL because Threads.com was already taken by a company offering a Slack alternative for business communication. Meta’s launch created confusion among users, as many people mistakenly went to Threads.com thinking they were accessing Meta’s social network. This confusion led to an unexpected spike in traffic for the startup.
Recognizing the strategic importance of the domain, several companies approached the startup to try to buy Threads.com before Meta, hoping to then resell the domain at a higher price. However, after turning down several acquisition offers in the past, the startup finally agreed to sell its domain to Meta.
Threads.com’s Whois record was updated on September 24, 2024, making the transfer of ownership official. This acquisition is part of a clear logic for Meta: to strengthen the presence of its social network Threads by ensuring that it controls all aspects of its online brand. Now, with Threads.com in its possession, Meta has an additional asset to Threads’ growing popularity.
