Meta shuts down Threads in Turkey. What should I do?

Meta, formerly Facebook, has faced yet another regulatory issue. The Menlo Park company announced on Monday that it’s shutting down its Threads operation in Turkey.

Meta says that the shutdown is done “temporarily” to comply with an interim request from Turkey’s Competition Authority (TCA), or Rekabet Kurumu. TCA has put a total ban on the data sharing between Threads and Instagram, a practice that is required if you want to access Threads.

The shutdown will begin on April 29. Meta hasn’t announced the exact end date of the shutdown, but will likely appeal the decision.

Threads, often deemed as the “Twitter killer,” was met with enthusiasm over its release. But at that time, Meta was thrown under the bus for not allowing non-Instagram users to access Threads as it requires a connection to the Instagram accounts.

That rule has been lifted, but still, Meta only allows you to see Threads content without being able to interact with them if you don’t connect your Instagram to it.

What should I do if I’m affected by this announcement, then? Well, Meta suggests that you can opt to deactivate your profile temporarily, with the assurance that it will be reinstated once Threads is available in the region. Alternatively, you also have the choice to permanently delete your profile, although you can still download my existing content beforehand.

Meta promises that there will be no disruptions for its other services, like Instagram and WhatsApp following the announcement. 

Earlier this month, the Facebook owner requested a motion to dismiss the American Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s antitrust lawsuit, which claimed that it has monopoly power over its acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram. No trial date has been agreed until now.