Meta to temporarily close Threads network in Türkiye

Facebook parent company Meta said on April 15 it would "temporarily" shut down its Threads short-messaging service in Türkiye from April 29 after an order from Ankara's competition watchdog over data-sharing.

The interim ruling from the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) has "no impact" for Meta's other services like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in Türkiye, the company said in a statement posted to its website, adding that they are taking steps to minimize disruption for people using Threads in Türkiye.

In its March finding, the TCA had said Meta's combination of user data from Instagram with people's Threads profiles "will lead to irreparable harms."

Given its vast user base, data collection and financial resources, "Meta's practices in the market constitute a barrier to entry" for prospective competitors, the authority added.

The TCA also decided to fine Meta 4.8 million Turkish Liras ($140,000) a day.

"We disagree with the interim order, we believe we are in compliance with all Turkish legal requirements, and we will appeal," the company said.

"We will continue to constructively engage with the TCA and hope to bring Threads back to people in Türkiye as quickly as possible," the statement added.

Meta said it would allow existing Threads users to delete or deactivate their profiles ahead of the April 29 cut-off, with a chance of reactivating them should the ruling be overturned.

Meta launched Threads last year as a competitor to X, formerly Twitter, with boss Mark Zuckerberg saying in February the service had 130 million monthly users worldwide.