Meta confirms that it prevents VPN access to Threads for users in the EU

After receiving numerous complaints from users in the EU who were unable to utilize a VPN to access Instagram's Threads app, Meta verified that it is indeed preventing such attempts.

Threads was recently released by the corporation, however due to privacy issues, it is not accessible in the EU. The business announced in a statement that it has taken further steps to prevent customers from accessing the brand-new social app.

A few EU-based users began tweeting screenshots earlier today claiming they couldn't use the Threads app even after using a VPN.

According to Meta's privacy statement and the app's iOS listing, which disclose that the program may gather a variety of personal data, including highly sensitive information like health and financial data, precise location, browser history, contacts, and search history, the Threads app actively monitors users.

In the EU, this strategy poses legal and regulatory difficulties for Meta.

Meta must have a legitimate legal basis to process such personal data for ad targeting in accordance with EU data protection rules; as a result of a recent Court of Justice decision, the company's position in this regard is becoming more dubious.

But it doesn't stop there: The Digital Markets Act, the EU's gleaming new ex-ante antitrust law, imposes restrictions on how applicable gatekeeping giants can mix data for advertisements. Additionally, Meta has reportedly stated that the delay in Threads' launch in the EU is due to ambiguity regarding how the DMA will apply to the use of data by its firm.

The software crossed 100 million signups in just a few days, despite not yet being formally launched in the majority of Europe. Meta's Twitter rival has been off to a terrific start.

However, daily active users were down 20% this week compared to Saturday, and time spent on the app has also decreased, according to analytics tracking company Sensor Tower. Therefore, it's unclear whether the Threads excitement will diminish once the novelty of a Meta Twitter version wears off.

This week, Meta released an update for the Thread iOS app that added support for iOS 17 and smaller binary sizes, among other minor changes.

Engineer Cameron Roth responded to a comment regarding the absence of online or desktop support by saying it's not as easy as "turning it on."