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The Threads app from Meta’s Instagram has been a massive success over the past few weeks. However, it is still struggling to take down Twitter, but it is a solid competitor. The success of this app however is restricted to certain areas as a result of governmental restrictions.
You might be wondering why these restrictions or laws against the use of the Threads app in the EU are in place. Well, the government in this region is concerned about its citizens’ privacy and how the app threatens it. Over the past few years, Meta has been a constant subject of consideration in lots of privacy concerns.
One region where it faces constant backlash regarding how it handles user data is the EU. For this reason, the Threads app is not available for users that live in the EU and its member states. Most people might suggest that users in this region use a VPN to access these services. That’s some fast and innovative thinking, well Meta thought of that first and is ready to help you waste your time.
Accessing the Threads app in the EU with a VPN is a complete waste of your time
Since the EU restricts usage of the Threads app in its region, a VPN might be a quick walkaround for most users. This is because a VPN is a tool to keep your location anonymous while you browse the internet. Browsing the internet with a VPN will mask your location to the website’s server, hence allowing you to avoid geo-blocking.
Lots of people in the EU use these services to access region-specific movies on streaming platforms. These same set of people might feel that a VPN would also grant them access to the Threads app. Meta, on the other hand, is blocking citizens of the EU from accessing this app even while using a VPN service.
How they get this done is very impressive yet a bit concerning. Since Meta owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, users can log into either platform with the same details. This means that you can open an Instagram account with the details from your already existing Facebook account.
Also, to open a Threads account, you will need your Instagram account if you already have one. By doing this, your data across all three platforms is linked and accessible by Meta. This data includes your location, which can be got from your years of using Instagram and Facebook.
So if Meta finds that an account domicile in an EU member state logs into Threads using a VPN, it is automatically a red flag. Whether users in the EU try to access this service with or without a VPN, it is easy for Meta to block them. By actively blocking EU citizens from accessing this new platform, Meta might be protesting the EU’s decision to block the app over privacy concerns.
There are 44 countries in Europe, but the EU comprises 27 member states (countries) with 447 million citizens. By restricting the access of the Threads app via VPN to this mammoth crowd, Meta might be playing a wild card. However, having over 100 million users currently, the Threads app might be doing well without folks from the EU.