Threads

Threads launched in July 2023 as Meta's answer to the growing demand for a Twitter/X alternative, and it achieved one of the fastest user growth trajectories in social media history, reaching over 100 million sign-ups within its first week. Built by the Instagram team at Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, Threads is tightly integrated with the Instagram ecosystem while carving out its own identity as a text-first social platform. What makes Threads particularly relevant to the European market is its commitment to ActivityPub integration, connecting it to the decentralized fediverse, and its efforts to comply with EU regulations including the Digital Markets Act and GDPR.

Unlike Twitter/X, which has faced controversy over content moderation changes and paid verification schemes, Threads has positioned itself as a more conversational and less combative space for text-based social sharing. The platform leverages Instagram's existing user base and trust infrastructure, allowing users to bring their followers, verification status, and identity from Instagram directly into Threads. This seamless onboarding process, combined with Meta's massive infrastructure investments, has given Threads a significant distribution advantage that most new social platforms can only dream of.

Core Features and User Experience

Threads supports text posts of up to 500 characters, along with photos, videos up to five minutes long, links, and polls. Users can create posts, reply to others, repost content to their own feed, and quote-post with added commentary. The interface is intentionally simple and familiar to anyone who has used Twitter or Instagram, with a main feed, a search/explore tab, activity notifications, and a profile page. The chronological following feed lets users see posts only from accounts they follow, while the algorithmic "For You" feed surfaces content from across the platform based on user interests and engagement patterns.

One of Threads' defining design choices is the absence of hashtags in the traditional sense, replaced instead by topic tags that function similarly but encourage broader topical exploration rather than trend-chasing. The platform also does not currently support direct messaging, intentionally keeping private conversations on Instagram and positioning Threads purely as a public conversation space. This focused approach avoids feature bloat and keeps the user experience streamlined around its core purpose of text-based public discourse.

ActivityPub and Fediverse Integration

Perhaps the most significant technical development for Threads is its integration with ActivityPub, the open protocol that powers the decentralized fediverse including platforms like Mastodon, BookWyrm, and WriteFreely. Users who opt in can make their Threads posts visible across the fediverse, and fediverse users can follow and interact with Threads accounts from their own platforms. In mid-2025, Threads expanded this integration with a dedicated fediverse feed that shows content from federated platforms, along with the ability to search for fediverse user profiles directly within the Threads app.

This fediverse integration represents a philosophical shift for Meta, moving from its historically walled-garden approach toward open interoperability. For users, it means that content published on Threads is not locked within Meta's ecosystem but can reach audiences across the broader decentralized social web. However, it is important to note that as of early 2026, the fediverse features are not fully available in the European Union due to regulatory considerations related to the Digital Markets Act, though Meta has stated it is working to bring federated Threads to EU users as soon as possible.

EU Launch and Regulatory Compliance

Threads was initially unavailable in the European Union at launch due to concerns about compliance with EU data protection regulations. The platform launched in the EU in December 2023 after Meta made adjustments to its data collection and processing practices to satisfy the requirements of the GDPR and the Digital Services Act. EU users have specific privacy controls, including the ability to manage how their data is used for content recommendation and advertising purposes. Meta operates a significant data processing infrastructure within Europe, with data centers in Ireland and other EU member states, to support regional compliance requirements.

The delayed EU launch and ongoing regulatory navigation highlight the tension between Meta's data-driven business model and European privacy expectations. While Threads is technically GDPR compliant in its EU operations, privacy-conscious users should be aware that Meta's broader data ecosystem, which includes Facebook and Instagram, involves extensive data collection practices. Users who are particularly concerned about data sovereignty may want to consider the fediverse alternatives that Threads itself connects to, such as Mastodon instances hosted entirely within European jurisdictions.

Content Moderation and Community Standards

Threads inherits Meta's content moderation infrastructure, which is among the most extensive in the social media industry. The platform employs a combination of automated detection systems and human reviewers to enforce community guidelines that prohibit hate speech, harassment, misinformation, and other harmful content. Threads has positioned itself as a more positive and less toxic environment compared to Twitter/X, with features like hidden word filters, the ability to control who can reply to posts, and proactive suppression of political content in the algorithmic feed unless users explicitly opt in.

For European users, Meta's content moderation practices are subject to the Digital Services Act, which requires transparency about algorithmic recommendation systems, clear mechanisms for reporting illegal content, and regular transparency reports. While Meta's moderation approach is significantly more resourced than most smaller platforms, it has also faced criticism for inconsistency and for the challenges inherent in moderating content at the scale of hundreds of millions of users across dozens of languages and cultural contexts.

Instagram Integration and Identity

Threads is deeply integrated with Instagram, sharing user accounts, follower graphs, and verification status. When a user signs up for Threads, they can import their Instagram profile, bio, and follower list, instantly establishing a presence on the new platform. This integration extends to cross-posting capabilities, where content from Threads can be shared to Instagram Stories, and Instagram profile links prominently feature Threads badges. The shared identity system means that verification earned on Instagram carries over to Threads, reducing the need for a separate verification process.

While this integration is a powerful growth lever, it also means that Threads cannot be used independently of Instagram. Users must have an Instagram account to use Threads, and deleting a Threads account was initially tied to deleting the associated Instagram account, though Meta later introduced the ability to delete Threads independently. For businesses and creators who have invested in building Instagram audiences, the seamless connection makes Threads a natural extension of their existing social media presence.

Business and Creator Features

Threads has been gradually rolling out features targeted at businesses and content creators. The platform supports verified badges for businesses, insights and analytics for professional accounts, and the ability to share links and drive traffic to external websites. Unlike Twitter/X's premium subscription model, Threads currently remains entirely free to use with no paid tiers or verification fees. Meta has not yet introduced advertising on Threads, though the company has indicated that ads will eventually be part of the platform's monetization strategy.

For European businesses, Threads offers a growing audience of engaged users who are looking for text-based content in a less cluttered environment than other social platforms. The platform's integration with Meta's broader advertising ecosystem, when ads do launch, will likely provide sophisticated targeting capabilities that leverage data from across Facebook and Instagram. However, this same data integration is precisely what raises privacy concerns under European regulations and may influence how advertising features are implemented in the EU market.

Algorithm and Content Discovery

Threads uses a recommendation algorithm to surface content in the "For You" feed, drawing on signals like user engagement, content relevance, and account authority. Unlike Twitter/X's algorithmically boosted paid content, Threads' recommendations are currently organic, though this may change once advertising is introduced. The platform also offers a chronological "Following" feed for users who prefer to see content only from accounts they have chosen to follow, providing a non-algorithmic alternative for those who want more control over their content consumption.

Limitations and Considerations

Despite its rapid growth and strong feature set, Threads has notable limitations. The platform does not support direct messaging, trending topics are limited in some regions, and the search functionality, while improving, is less robust than Twitter/X's advanced search capabilities. The requirement for an Instagram account creates a dependency that some users find restrictive, particularly those who want a standalone text-based social platform. The fediverse integration, while promising, remains incomplete in the EU, which limits its appeal to European users who value decentralized social networking.

Additionally, as a Meta product, Threads carries the reputational baggage associated with Facebook's history of privacy controversies. Users who left Facebook and Twitter/X for privacy reasons may find the Meta connection a dealbreaker, even if Threads' actual data practices in the EU are compliant with regulations. The platform's long-term success in Europe will likely depend on how effectively Meta can balance its data-driven business model with the privacy-first expectations of European regulators and users.

Who Should Use Threads?

Threads is best suited for individuals, businesses, and creators who already have an Instagram presence and want to extend their reach into text-based social media. It is particularly valuable for those seeking a Twitter/X alternative with strong content moderation, a familiar interface, and the backing of Meta's infrastructure. European users who are comfortable with Meta's data practices and want access to a large, active user base will find Threads a compelling option. However, users who prioritize data sovereignty, decentralization, or independence from Big Tech may prefer European alternatives like Mastodon or Bluesky that offer greater control over personal data and platform governance.