Meta’s Threads to Launch in Europe in December – WSJ

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is set to launch Threads in Europe in December, according to people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. 

This move underscores Meta’s commitment to Threads, positioning it as a competitor to Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). Despite its global availability in July, the launch in the European Union was delayed due to the region’s stringent regulations for online services.

To comply with EU regulations, Meta will provide users with the option of using Threads solely for consumption, omitting the ability to create posts on a profile, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. 

Facing increased scrutiny in the social media landscape, particularly in Europe, this expansion signifies Meta’s willingness to navigate the regulatory landscape. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg stated in October that Threads had “just under 100 million monthly active” users and has ambitious plans for reaching up to one billion users in the coming years. The European launch is viewed as a crucial test for Threads’ long-term viability.

Debra Aho Williamson, an independent tech analyst, estimates that including the EU could bring around 40 million additional monthly users for Threads in 2024, based on Meta’s reported EU user figures for Instagram. While Threads competes with X, Sensor Tower reports approximately 73 million monthly global users for Threads compared to X’s 365 million, making it a distant runner-up.

According to a recent report from data.ai, Threads secured the leading position as the most downloaded app in the third quarter of 2023, registering an impressive 236 million downloads from both the App Store and Google Play.