Meta’s Geo-Restriction: European Users Blocked from Threads, VPNs Ineffective

Meta has confirmed that they are indeed preventing access to Instagram Threads for users in Europe, as the new app from Mark Zuckerberg’s company is currently unavailable in the EU, at least for now. Interestingly, even with a VPN, you won’t be able to access the platform.

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On July 6th, the social network was launched in over 100 countries, none of which included any European countries. The reason behind this is that data protection regulations prevented its debut, as Threads utilizes user data from Instagram, including information about user behavior and advertising, which directly violates the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Even with a VPN you won’t be able to access Instagram Threads from the EU

For this reason, Meta decided to postpone the launch of Threads in Europe in order to find appropriate solutions and avoid compliance issues with European regulations. This is what motivated the company to prevent European users from accessing the social network, even if they use a VPN, as shared by Twitter user Matt Navarra. They have implemented new measures that block access to the social network, regardless of the method used to access it.

However, the Threads team has assured that the European market remains crucial to them, indicating that it will eventually be available to users in the European Union, although no specific release date has been announced. Considering that the app is still in its early stages, it may not be a significant setback to have to wait to enjoy it in this continent.

As of today, the Meta-owned platform, which already has over 100 million users, collects data on users’ health and physical activity, as well as financial information, contact details (physical address, email, phone), shared content, and browsing history. That’s not all; Threads also utilizes other types of data, such as user location and contacts, among many others.

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Indeed, it is evident that Meta needs to make significant improvements in these aspects for Threads to be able to launch in Europe and comply with the regulations of the EU Digital Markets Act. Nevertheless, Instagram Threads has already emerged as one of the most promising alternatives to Twitter currently available.