WASHINGTON, Nov 21 — The White House yesterday joined the social media platform Threads, the Meta rival to Elon Musk’s X social media platform.

The move, which the White House says was in the process for several weeks, comes just days after the White House and others criticised Musk for the amplification and endorsement of an anti-Semitic post.

Major media companies, including Comcast, The Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. Discovery, announced that they were pausing ads on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Messaging platform X on Monday sued media watchdog group Media Matters, alleging the organisation defamed the platform after it published a report that said ads for major brands had appeared next to posts touting Nazism.

The White House launched its own official account, as well as accounts for the president, First Lady, vice president, and second gentleman. Additionally, a spokesperson for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign told CNN that the president, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, would launch personal accounts on Threads as well.

A White House spokeswoman, Robyn Patterson, said the reason for the move is because "we are committed to meeting people where they are.”

The White House’s decision to join Threads gives the platform, controlled by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, added credibility. It also comes as some key public figures declare that they are switching from X to Threads entirely, citing Musk’s conduct as the impetus for the move. — Reuters