Meta announced on Monday its decision to temporarily close Threads in Turkey starting April 29, following an interim injunction issued by the Turkish competition authority last month.
This move comes in response to concerns raised about Meta’s data-sharing practices between Threads and Instagram.
The Turkish Competition Authority (found that Meta was unfairly combining user data from Threads profiles with their Instagram accounts without providing users the option to opt-in.
This adds to Meta’s ongoing regulatory challenges in Europe, where it has faced fines and scrutiny over privacy and competition concerns.
In previous instances, Turkey imposed fines on Meta for similar data-sharing practices across its platforms. Despite Meta’s attempts to comply with regulations, the TCA deemed its efforts insufficient, citing concerns about transparency and user consent.
Threads, a platform launched by Instagram to capitalize on user migration from Twitter, has garnered a significant user base. However, Meta has faced criticism for requiring users to create an Instagram account to access Threads. Although it later introduced options for users to delete Threads profiles separately, regulatory concerns persisted.
Meta’s decision to temporarily shut down Threads in Turkey reflects its disagreement with the TCA’s interim order. The company intends to appeal the decision while engaging in discussions with Turkish regulators to resolve the issue.
In preparation for the closure on April 29, Threads users in Turkey will receive notifications, allowing them to choose between deleting or deactivating their profiles. Deactivation offers users the possibility of restoring their profiles if Threads becomes available again in the future.
