Why is Instagram Threads not available in Europe?
Instagram Threads is not coming to Europe any time soon.
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Key notes
- Instagram Threads is asking for a lot of personal data from users.
- This doesn't sit well with EU laws.
- So, you might need to wait for a while for Threads to be available in Europe.
Instagram Threads has been out for less than a week, and it has already grabbed over 100 million users, but the app is not available in Europe yet. You can even download the app and use it on Windows 11, but if you’re from Europe, then you won’t be able to.
And you won’t be able to use it for a while if you’re from Europe. Why? Because Instagram Threads currently doesn’t meet the EU’s Digital Markets Act requirements. In fact, it is Meta who is refraining to launch Thread in Europe, because the company believes the European rules are a bit unclear.
But it might be even more than that. The European Union has been protecting users’ data with new rules, and companies that want to launch apps in the region must comply with those rules. However, Threads currently imports a lot of data from Instagram, and it asks users for permission to sensitive information.
And this information is protected under EU laws. Although Threads is currently experiencing a high wave of popularity, the app is not seen without controversy. A lot of users believe the app asks for too much data.
Just how much data is Instagram Threads asking for?
According to users, Instagram Threads is a privacy nightmare, so far. The app is currently asking for data that is linked to your identity, including:
- Health and Fitness
- Financial info
- Contact info
- User content
- Browsing history
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
- Purchases
- Location
- Contacts
- Search History
- Identifiers
- Sensitive info
- Other data
So, as you can see there is a lot of data for you to give away, in order to use Twitter’s newest rival, Threads. As per usual, this data is collected so you can have the best experience on Instagram Threads, but it does seem a bit too much. Sensitive info and Other Data can mean anything, and the fact that Threads is keen on accessing them might be a hard pass for some users.
When it comes to Europe, Instagram Threads will be released at some point, but not soon, though. If you live in Europe, you might need to wait a bit more before you can create an account on Instagram Threads.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below.
