The Instagram spinoff Threads that launched last week now has 100 million users as per the most recent update from Mark Zuckerberg. However, Threads is not yet available in the EU due to privacy concerns. And now Meta is taking action to prevent EU users from accessing its app via VPNs.
Users who tried accessing Threads using a VPN received an error message saying that the app is “unavailable in your region.” Meta has not yet commented on why it is blocking EU users from accessing Threads via VPN.
Despite the company’s intentions to maintain privacy controls, concerns have been raised that EU users could bypass these measures using VPNs. Meta awaits regulatory approval before launching Threads in the EU, ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.
Alternatively, the company may be taking cautious steps to prevent EU users from accessing the app until it is fully prepared for a wider release.
Instagram appears to have blocked EU users from accessing Threads via a VPN
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Is this true @mosseri ? pic.twitter.com/3QcqoKeGuo
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) July 14, 2023
Regardless of the reasoning, numerous EU users have expressed their disappointment on social media platforms. In contrast, others have abandoned their attempts to access the app altogether. It is unclear how long the block will remain in place. The social media giant has not said when it plans to launch Threads in the EU, but the app may be available in the region later this year.
On the other hand, we previously reported that people aren’t using Threads as much as they did during the launch week. Sensor Tower recorded a drop of about 20% in the daily active users on Tuesday and Wednesday when compared to Saturday. Also, with a 50% drop, the average time users spent on the app went down from 20 to 10 minutes.
Source: Matt Navarra via TechCrunch