Threads is also expanding its test of trending topics in the app, with users in Japan set to get access to their own Trending element from later this week.
Threads will add a listing of the top five trending topics to the search tab in the app, which will provide a quick overview of what's generating the most discussion in the app at any given time.

So what is generating the most talk and isn't "political" given Threads' dislike of political content. It's really a way that the listing will reflect everything non-political that people are talking about in-stream.

Threads originally launched trending topics to users in the United States last February, as demand continues to grow for a more effective way to keep on top of the latest topics, much like people previously used Twitter.

For all of its other faults, Twitter was the crucial connector to real time news discussion, and, if you wanted to have a pulse on what is happening in the world in real time, that is the best place. X now serves that same function, though its utility has been lessened because people have left the app en masse, and Elon Musk's own political bent increasingly dominates discussion.

So, Threads users are hoping to replicate similar on Threads.

According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri:

  "Lots of people outside the U.S. have been asking for the "Trending Now" feature, and we're working on bringing it to more countries. This week, we'll begin testing the feature in Japan with a small number of people to start."

Interestingly, Japan is a critical market for X as the region is the second largest in number of users after the U.S. So Threads pushing its way here is the thing, and Threads adoption has grown in the nation.

But I don't know, I still believe that Threads cannot win when it is trying to censor certain discussions on the app.

Meta said in its explanations of how it defines "political" content, it's actively restricting reach of content that is "likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large."
Social topics affecting people is a very, very broad umbrella, and the specifics here are pretty opaque. Ideally, Meta would like to see people discussing uplifting topics, like pets being rescued and babies being saved. That, however, also means its trending list isn't reflecting actual discussion in the real world and what's relevant to users, so it's not really helpful in a broader sense.

So I'm not sure that this will be a great addition, and again, I'm not sure that Threads will be able to maximize its success, as a challenger to X, if it's going to maintain such restrictions.

But for now at least, that's what Threads is going with, as it looks to bring trending topics to more regions.