(NEWSnet) — Threads is giving Twitter a run for its money.

The new Meta-owned social media app has been dubbed the "Twitter Killer" for good reason. The competing app has had 100 million new sign-ups in the last week — most of which came within the first few hours of its launch.

The platform utilized Meta’s existing user base of billions across Facebook and Instagram, which are the other platforms it owns. Twitter usage is reportedly down by 11%, according to data compiled by Cloudflare.

Twitter is fighting back.

The social media giant claims that Meta has access to Twitter trade secrets because the company hired several former Twitter staffers. This comes after Elon Musk laid off hundreds — often in allegedly unlawful ways. Twitter alleges that Meta deliberately placed these staffers to build a Twitter copycat.

Meta says that’s just not true.

"No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee — that’s just not a thing," a Meta spokesperson told news website Semafor. 

Legal experts say there’s not out there to support Musk’s claim. He vowed transparency and publicly released Twitter’s source code back in March.

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