Threads won't work if it's boring

Hiya, it’s Alex in Los Angeles. Meta’s decision to block some searches on Threads, while temporary, could put off users of the new app. But [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hiya, it’s Alex in Los Angeles. Meta’s decision to block some searches on Threads, while temporary, could put off users of the new app. But first... Three things you need to know today: • Instacart [jumps]( in trading debut, further fueling an IPO market rebound • Elon Musk’s brain implant startup starts [recruiting]( for first clinical trial • Intel [CEO]( talks up chipmaker’s work in AI tech as key to catching rivals Only good behavior On Threads, [Meta Platforms Inc.](bbg://securities/meta/cn)’s Twitter copycat, nobody talks about “marijuana.” People also don’t mention “murder,” “opioid,” or “skinny.” At least that’s what a user may think if they use the app’s search tool to seek out those terms, only to be notified there are no results. This might sound fine at first, but makes Threads less topical. If you search “Proud Boys,” you can’t find news of the [conviction]( of its leader in connection with his role in the attack on the Capitol. “Covid” and “vaccines” have also been scrubbed from search results, as the [Washington Post]( first reported, making it tough to find discussions about infection. If the #MeToo movement had started in the time of Threads, users searching for those stories may struggle to find them on the platform — “sexual assault” and “rape” are on the no-results list, too. In July, I [wrote]( that Meta has a rare opportunity to claw back its cultural relevance from TikTok with Threads’ easy text posts and a connection-hungry user base looking for an alternative to X, formerly Twitter. But being the place where culture happens requires immediacy, significance and community. “We just began rolling out keyword search for Threads to additional countries this month,” a Meta spokesperson said. “The search functionality temporarily doesn’t provide results for keywords that may show potentially sensitive content. People will be able to search for keywords such as `Covid’ in future updates once we are confident in the quality of the results." Every decision the company makes sends a message, intentional or not, about what they want the new platform to be. Threads started as an extension of Instagram, where celebrities and influencers have become the app’s most popular accounts through carefully curated photos and videos. The word-blocking – and algorithmic promotion of mainstream celebrities and brands – might appeal to the same crowd, who are sensitive about their content appearing next to things perceived as negative or harmful. The moves also set up Threads for an eventual advertising business, as an alternative to X, the increasingly controversial Elon Musk-owned platform. But there won’t be many people to advertise to if Threads is perceived as boring. When the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, recently asked users for feedback on the app, the responses called for news content and real-time information. “Threads is improving rapidly, but is still very vanilla,” wrote [Evan Howard](, who goes by @eahrad on the app. “Attract more smart, interesting niche communities like we had on the old Twitter.” Twitter used to be a place where anyone could be exposed to the thoughts of experts in various fields, who could quickly chime in about what was going on in the world when news happened. Even TikTok, which serves up videos based on a user’s interests, surfaces real-time events that matter in its algorithm, despite its reputation for happy distraction. Some of the rules may just be policies that made sense for image-based Instagram, that don’t resonate on a text-based app. “Thin” and “skinny” yield no results, only a message from Threads asking, “Can we help?” The app prompts you to “get support” because this falls under “sensitive topics about body image,” and suggests you talk to a friend or helpline volunteer, or review tips like “take care of yourself.” A slew of other adjectives like “curvy,” “midsize” and “fat” served up posts without issue. Meta has frequently said that the app is still new and that it’s early days. But the company is wrong if it’s betting that a saccharine feed that only surfaces happy missives and ignores real time events will be a must-visit. A lot of the responses to Mosseri drove that point home: “Doesn’t feel live or vital,” said [Lu Nunez](, a user with the handle @lunu. —[Alex Barinka](mailto:abarinka2@bloomberg.net) The big story Microsoft [mistakenly]( uploaded confidential video game operation plans to a Federal court website. Included were details about an upgraded Xbox console, unannounced video games and older discussions around purchasing Nintendo. The documents were part of evidence in the FTC’s lawsuit to stop the $69 billion acquisition of Activision. Get fully charged Amazon’s cashless shopping technology, [Just Walk Out](, is now available for clothing stores, using RFID tags and readers to track apparel.  Dish Network missed its [deadline]( to buy $3.5 billion in airwaves from T-Mobile, but the Department of Justice granted an April extension. Google’s AI chatbot Bard will soon appear on [popular apps]( like Gmail, Docs, YouTube, and Maps.   DHS released new guidelines for cyber hacking reporting requirements, meant to standardize the old “[hodgepodge](” ways of reporting spanned 22 federal agencies with overlapping requirements.   More from Bloomberg Live event: The Bloomberg Technology Summit in London will host top technology leaders, business executives, innovators and entrepreneurs on Oct. 24. The event will explore the rapid advance of AI, green technology, the escalation of cyber warfare and more. [Register here](. 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