“Threads” banned in EU due to privacy concerns

Instagram Threads, the upcoming competitor to Twitter from Meta, will not be introduced in the European Union due to privacy concerns, as Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) stated.

It’s no surprise that Meta is launching their own version of Twitter,

THREADS,

All these restrictions and limitations on Twitter gives Meta an edge and an opportunity to launch.

This was done previously when Reels was introduced just in time when Indian government banned… pic.twitter.com/PGbJy43YUm

— Sayan (@thesayanneogie) July 4, 2023

According to the Irish Independent, the regulatory body has communicated with the social media giant regarding the new product. It has confirmed that its release will not include the EU “at this time.”

Threads is Meta’s response to Twitter and is scheduled to launch on July 6, 2023. It is promoted as a “text-based conversation app” that allows Instagram users to engage in discussions about various topics of interest, both current and upcoming.

More about Thread

The app also enables you to follow the same accounts they already follow on Instagram. It has already appeared in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store listings, although it is not available for download.

The “App Privacy” section in the App Store indicates that the application is expected to gather a wide range of your data, including information related to health and fitness, purchases, financial details, location, contact information, contacts, user-generated content, search history, browsing history, identifiers, usage data, sensitive information, and diagnostics.

Although the DPC has not actively blocked the launch of Threads, Meta is taking a cautious approach to introducing the service in the EU, which has strict privacy protections in place. It’s worth noting that Google postponed the launch of its AI chatbot Bard in the EU for similar reasons.

Read more: Twitter Rival

Andrea Jelinek, EDPB Chair, said: “The EDPB found that Meta IE’s infringement is very serious since it concerns transfers that are systematic, repetitive and continuous. Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive. The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organizations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.”

Did it have an impact?

This development aligns with a series of policy changes implemented by Twitter. The platform has started blocking unregistered subscribers from accessing the site on the web and has enforced temporary limits on the number of posts logged-in users can view daily.

"Wow, Twitter doesn't allow free speech! I'm leaving Twitter for the Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook run Threads!" said morons who apparently don't know that on Facebook you STILL get banned for posting the truth about COVID origins, the pandemic, lockdowns, masks, the vaccine… https://t.co/9ov2KyHV7G

— Brian Cates – Political Columnist & Pundit (@drawandstrike) July 4, 2023

Twitter stated that “these measures are being taken to identify and remove bots and other malicious actors causing harm to the platform. These actors have been scraping publicly available Twitter data to build AI models and manipulate people and conversations on the platform in various ways.”

Conclusive remarks

Developers and regulators are responsible for managing the users’ privacy and safety. Social media platforms have high competition, and to stay in the market with goodwill users can trust, there is a need to be stringent regarding privacy and data protection.