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By Temisan Omadeli
Meta, the parent company of Threads, has clarified the temporary suspension of the Threads app in Turkey. The decision, announced by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is effective from April 29.
This suspension follows a regulatory dispute with the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) concerning data-sharing practices between Threads and Instagram.”
The TCA has accused Meta of abusing its market dominance by combining user data from both platforms without obtaining explicit consent. This follows an interim measure imposed by the TCA last month to restrict data sharing between Instagram and Threads while investigating potential abuse of Meta’s dominant market position.
In a statement released on Monday, Meta confirmed the suspension, stating, “To comply with an interim order of the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA), we will shut down Threads in Turkey from Monday, April 29. We know this will be very disappointing for the many people in Turkey who engage on Threads with their community. We are taking steps to minimise any disruption as much as possible.”
Despite the suspension of Threads, Meta clarified that other social media services such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp would remain unaffected.
In 2022, Meta faced a fine of $18.6 million for merging user data across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta has stated that it will notify Threads users in Turkey within the app about the impending shutdown before April 29. Users will then have the option to either deactivate their profiles, preserve their data for potential reactivation if Threads returns to Turkey, or delete their profiles entirely. Meta added that users who choose to deactivate their profiles can utilise Meta’s Download Your Information tool at any time to download and preserve their content.
