Meta temporarily suspends Threads in Türkiye

Meta Platforms Inc. announced that it will temporarily suspend its social networking app Threads in Türkiye starting 29 April to comply with an interim order from the Turkish Competition Authority. The decision, detailed in a blog post on Monday, aims to address concerns related to data sharing between Instagram and Threads as the competition watchdog investigates potential market dominance abuses by Meta. Despite this move, Meta reassured users that the shutdown of Threads in Türkiye will not affect other Meta services like Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp within the country or Threads in other global locations.

The Turkish Competition Authority initiated an investigation into Meta in December over possible competition law violations stemming from the integration of Instagram with Threads. The interim order, which restricts data merging between the two platforms, will remain effective until the authority reaches a final decision. Meta expressed disagreement with this decision, asserting its compliance with Turkish legal requirements and indicating plans to appeal the ruling.

Threads, Meta’s microblogging venture launched in July 2023, aimed to expand beyond Instagram’s media-centric format by offering a predominantly text-based social platform where users could share photos, links, and short videos. While Threads quickly gained traction in the US and over 100 other countries, its European debut was delayed until December 2023 due to stringent privacy regulations in the region. Despite this setback, Meta remains committed to navigating regulatory challenges while advancing its diverse social networking offerings.