Despite less-than-lukewarm relations with the EU, EU Meta users wonder if they can access Threads. Threads is the hottest talk of the town, and everybody is curious about jumping on. Threads has gotten so popular that it even ruffles the EU’s feathers.
While it’s possible to have Meta Threads EU, it will likely take a while because of Meta’s present regional struggles. Meta currently grapples with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which protects user privacy, providing additional privacy controls. The EU is also pushing for the act to limit the power of giant tech firms.
Threaded Euro-trip
The DMA primarily targets what are known as ‘gatekeeper platforms’, which are essentially large corporations with over-bloated media control. And by media control, we mean corporations with plenty of say over how users access their apps. The act’s primary goal is to stop Apple and Google from misusing their market power to prioritize their products. The DMA’s restrictions will also apply to Meta, seeing how Threads is essentially an Instagram derivative.
Meta Threads EU could fall foul of the new rules, either that or warrant further investigation. Should that be the case, regional authorities must rule on the process. That will determine whether or not Threads is acceptable under the law. At the same time, EU regulators will assess whether the data sharing between Instagram and Threads is clarified. If Threads wants to reach EU shores, it has to align with its evolving requirements.
EU regulators have established a new set of rules and privacy protections to ensure better data access control for users. The new regulations also cover how companies control digital markets, ensuring higher fairness and competitive balance. The DMA is just one of several elements of these evolving processes. There is another aspect here – transatlantic data transfers, which are also under negotiation between EU and US regulators.
The negotiations have seen significant progress lately, with US President Joe Biden securing a new data transfer agreement this week. Without an agreement, Meta did warn that it would have to cut off EU users from all its apps. That said, Threads is currently in a state of limbo until EU regulators assess the full implications. There is no definitive time frame on how long this verification process will last. Until EU regulators acquire further insights, we can’t say for sure when it will become available in EU app stores.
The Wrap
Threads has risen to 100 million members in record time. You can only imagine how many EU users are keen to join the party and see what Threads is all about. Once it is finally cleared for EU access, which is highly likely, we can expect another influx of Threads users. Meta Threads EU is likely to become a thing. In the long run, that adds more to the app’s rising reputation of being the fastest-growing app of all time.
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