Meta's Threads App Privacy Concerns Rise as Sensitive Data Collection Revealed

Threads, Meta's much anticipated Twitter competitor, faces trouble launching in the European Union (EU) because of stricter privacy regulations. The application is pre-downloadable in the US and UK app stores, but EU users like Germany cannot use it.

According to the Irish Independent, Threads will not launch in the EU on Thursday due to more stringent privacy regulations in the 27-nation union. In the report, Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) representative said the service was unsuitable for a European launch outside the UK, according to Cybernews.

The Irish authority has not aggressively prohibited the upcoming social media app, but Meta is figuring out how to meet the demands of the EU's data protection laws.

Threads reportedly would take advantage of user data from Instagram, including location data, search history, and other private information, per TechCrunch. Due to concerns about the company's data use methods using Facebook and Instagram data, the DPC previously intervened to stop Meta from introducing advertising services on WhatsApp in the EU. Ireland serves as the location of Meta's EU headquarters. Hence, the DPC ensures that the company complies with data protection laws.

According to the description on Apple's App Store, the freshly released Threads app, positioned as a direct rival to Twitter, is a text-based chat network that enables users to follow the same profiles they presently follow on Instagram while maintaining their existing IDs.

Elon Musk Reacts on Threads Privacy Risk Issue

Online users have expressed concerns about the app's access to user data and permissions. The co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, voiced concerns about the requirements placed by the newly released application from Meta.

Dorsey tweeted, "All your Threads belong to us," along with a snapshot of the app's data needs from its App Store page. Elon Musk added his two cents, responding, "Yeah," to the conversation, as reported by Mint.

According to iOS's required disclosures, Threads may gather extremely sensitive data, including financial and health information, exact location, browser history, contacts, search history, and other private information, to profile users' online behavior, which suits Meta's business strategy as it makes money by monitoring and profiling internet users to enable behavioral advertising via microtargeting methods. Meta was initially known as Facebook.

Meta's EU Woes Persist

Though Meta said that processing personal data is necessary to fulfill a contract, the legal foundation for doing so in the EU was determined to be invalid earlier this year, raising questions about Threads' prospects in that region.

The introduction of Threads in the area is still up in the air as Meta works to abide by EU privacy legislation. The corporation must overcome several obstacles to resolve user consent issues, ensure data privacy, and modify its business processes to comply with EU regulations.