The primary difference being they aren't forcing instagram users to register with Threads - google was very clearly inflating their numbers in a way that threads/meta/facebook currently isn't.
It kinda is, though. I'm sure these numbers are all people who really have used Threads, but I'm also willing to bet that 99% of them are Instagram users. And most of the people you can follow on Threads are apparently Instagram users who never even activated Threads. Threads is really just an extension of Instagram, and not its own thing.
I'm sure it is, but the accounts are clearly linked. I've heard from several people that Threads recommended them to follow friends who hadn't signed up for Threads.
