EU Residents Blocked from Accessing Threads via VPNs

European Union users attempting to register for Threads using a virtual private network (VPN) will be unsuccessful, as Meta has implemented a block on access for these users. Consultant Matt Navarra clarifies that content, notifications, and profiles will not load correctly. While a few users claim they can access Threads without a VPN if they had previously signed up using one, relying on this workaround may not be advisable.

In a statement, Meta says it’s taking “additional steps” to prevent people from accessing Threads in European countries where the app isn’t available. However, the company says that Europe remains a “very important market” and that it hopes to expand availability in the future. The company doesn’t offer a timetable for new releases, but the app is currently rough and lacks important features like hashtags.

Threads is available to users in over 100 countries, including the US and UK, but not the EU. The union considers Meta a technology “gatekeeper” in the region, and the company is said to be confident that Threads’ data-sharing approach will comply with the upcoming Digital Markets Act. Threads is built on Instagram’s infrastructure and may bring data from that platform. The EU also decided that Meta must get permission to show personalized ads, which could add to the problems.

Metal is under pressure to expand. Threads amassed 100 million users in less than a week and is already considered Twitter’s biggest threat. CEO Mark Zuckerberg notes that growth so far has been largely “organic” without advertising or other familiar promotional tactics. Although it is unclear whether the use will be sustained in the long term, expansion into the EU may sustain this momentum. Outside analysts believe that Twitter traffic is already declining as users attempt or switch to Threads.