Turkey Ends Meta Investigation Over Threads and Instagram

Turkey’s competition board announced on Thursday that it has concluded its investigation into Meta Platforms, Inc. regarding potential competition law violations related to data-sharing practices between its social media platforms, Threads and Instagram. According to AOL, the board’s decision follows Meta’s commitments to address concerns raised during the inquiry.

The investigation, which began last year, scrutinized Meta’s linking of user data between Threads and Instagram, a move that some argued could unfairly bolster its market position. In April, Meta temporarily suspended its Threads platform in Turkey in response to an interim order from the competition authority, AOL reported.

Per a statement from the board, the commitments presented by Meta were deemed sufficient to resolve competition issues. Among these measures, Meta pledged that both existing and new Threads users would be able to create and use Threads profiles independently of Instagram accounts. This adjustment will take effect once Threads is reintroduced in Turkey.

Related: Turkey Closes Antitrust Probe into Meta’s Threads-Instagram Practices

Additionally, Meta assured the competition authority that data collected through Threads would remain separate from Instagram unless users explicitly opted to merge their accounts. This separation aims to alleviate concerns over data consolidation potentially stifling competition in the digital space.

The Turkish competition board’s decision to end the investigation marks a significant development in the oversight of major tech platforms’ practices within the country. The resolution also clears the way for Threads to resume operations in Turkey, albeit under more rigorous compliance standards.

Source: AOL