Η Meta announced on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, the closure of the Threads app on Turkey. The decision follows a temporary injunction issued by the Turkish Competition Authority (TRK), which prohibits the automatic merging of user data between Threads and Instagram.
According to TRK, automatically linking data without users' consent "would cause irreparable harm" and that Meta "abused its dominant position" in the market. TRK considers that this connection aims to increase Meta's market share.
Meta, for its part, disagrees with TRK's decision, stating that it complies with Turkish legislation. The company plans to appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, Meta downloads the Threads app from all app stores in Turkey from April 29, 2024. The company emphasizes that this is a temporary measure and that it will bring Threads back to Turkey if there is a change in TRK's decision.
Effects on Users:
- Users in Turkey will no longer be able to download or use the Threads app.
- It is possible to disable or permanently delete your Threads account.
- If disabled, the Threads profile will be available if and when the app comes back to Turkey.
Important:
- The shutdown of Threads in Turkey marks the first time a Meta app has been banned in a country.
- The fact raises questions about the power of the competition authorities and the data protection in the digital age.
