Meta Platforms Inc.’s hotly anticipated Threads app won’t be available in some European countries just yet after the company and its chief EU regulator confirmed on Wednesday. Following preorder options for customers in the United States and the United Kingdom, Apple’s App Store listings showed that the app was set to go live tomorrow, Thursday. However, the app will not be available in Germany, Belgium, and other European Union countries at this point in time.
In a statement to POLITICO, a spokesperson for the Irish Data Protection Commission revealed that Meta is not yet planning to launch its Instagram-linked app across the EU. The Commission is the firm’s chief regulator, having been chosen as the headquarters for Meta’s business inside the European Union. Meta additionally confirmed its intent not to launch Threads in Europe at this present moment in time.
The news was first reported by the Irish Independent. Irish regulator has emphasized the need for protecting user data in Europe, due to the implementation of the Digital Markets Act on digital competition which prevents tech “gatekeepers” from combining data. This could possibly be the reason why Meta has chosen to delay its launch in Europe.
Related: Meta Platforms Set to Launch Threads, To Rival Twitter
“Meta is not planning to roll out the Instagram-linked app in the EU at this point,” said the spokesperson for the Irish Data Protection Commission. “Another US tech giant, Google, postponed launching its artificial intelligence chatbot Bard in the European Union after the Irish regulator had raised privacy concerns.”
Meta Platforms Inc.’s Threads app is expected to give users an alternative to Twitter and Elon Musk’s social media platform. While customers in the US and the UK are in a hurry to get their hands on the revolutionary app, most Europeans unfortunately, will have to wait for the app’s launch in the near future.
