Meta’s social messaging app Threads will shut down in Turkey at the beginning of this month. According to the company, it does not comply with local privacy regulations. Turkey’s Competition Authority (TCA) challenged the way Threads automatically links users’ data to their Instagram profiles.
Threads launched last summer as Meta’s attempt to capitalize on the growing interest in more private social networks. But it was too tightly integrated with Instagram. Setting up a Threads profile required an Instagram account, and deleting one also deleted the other by default. This raised obvious privacy concerns by forcing a data connection with no options.
Meta will close Threads for Turkey on April 29
In response to regulators, Meta has since added options to separate the two profiles. But it seems that these changes have come too late for the Turkish authorities. From April 29, Threads will be temporarily blocked in the country, according to the latest TCA order. The notifications inform millions of users to either delete or deactivate their profiles before then.
“In accordance with the temporary order of the Rekabet Kurum/Turkish Competition Authority (TCA),” writes Meta on the blog. “We will be shutting down Threads in Turkey as of Monday, April 29. We know this will be very disappointing for many people in Turkey who are involved in Threads with their community.”
This is the latest privacy battle between Meta and the Turkish authorities. In 2022, Meta was fined $18.6 million in Turkey for combining user data on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It also faces cumulative daily penalties of $160,000 for failing to comply with previous data-sharing orders.
Meta also says it is taking steps to minimize any disruption. However, the shutdown highlights Meta’s ongoing struggle to balance data usage policies across regions. While its popularity remains high, aggressive integration also brings increased scrutiny. In this regard, you can read our guide on how to deactivate your Threads account.