Meta may not launch its Twitter rival in European Union: Report

Meta (formerly Facebook) will reportedly not launch its new Twitter competitor “Threads” in Ireland or the European Union (EU) in the foreseeable future. Also Read: Elon Musk's X Launches XChat For All Users With Security Features And New Tools

According to Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) spokesperson, the regulator had been in contact about the new service and that it would not be rolled out in the EU “at this point”, reports Independent.ie. Also Read: Jack Dorsey Launches Bitchat: A New Messaging App That Works Without Internet

Threads is expected to launch on Thursday in the US and UK as an alternative to Twitter. Also Read: X Pauses Encrypted DMs Amid Improvements: Could This Be a Move Toward XChat?

The new platform is designed to import data from Instagram, including behavioural and advertising information.

In its US format, the platform informs users that it will collect a wide range of information about them, including health information, financial information, browsing histories, location, purchases, contacts, search history and sensitive information.

However, in the EU format, the Irish regulator has prevented Meta from launching advertising services on WhatsApp that use data from Facebook or Instagram.

In the US, where privacy laws are weaker, the tech giant is permitted to combine the two data streams, said the report.

The DPC has not actively blocked the service, instead, the company is still preparing it for a European launch outside the UK, which does not fully comply with GDPR.

Last week, Meta’s Twitter competitor briefly appeared on the Google Play Store.

Since January, Threads has been under development at Meta under the name “Project 92”.

“We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution,” Meta chief product officer Chris Cox had said.

— IANS