Instagram will not launch Twitter’s competitor in the EU due to privacy concerns

Threads is designed to import data from Instagram, which includes behavioral and advertising consumption information

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Technique
threads
6 hours ago
by Folhapress

SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) — Instagram owner Meta won’t be launching Twitter rivals in Europe in the near future, according to a spokesperson for Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), which regulates the topic in the European Union. The information was reported by The Independent newspaper.

The Meta app, which is set to launch on Thursday (6), will request access to personal and financial information, health and fitness data, and messages in other apps.

The specialized website Nucleo Jornalismo has shown that these requests are not repeated on competing platforms. Threads will post short texts of up to 500 characters, similar to the model popularized by Twitter.

Report contacted Meta via email and WhatsApp on Tuesday night (4), but had not received a response as of this report’s publication.

Threads is designed to import data from Instagram, which includes behavioral and advertising consumption information. However, the Meta on the app’s homepage only reveals in stores that the technology will make it easier to find contacts and maintain the verification seal of social networking photo accounts.

The platform’s launch in the UK and US, which have more lenient privacy laws, is being held for the next sixth, according to The Independent.

The European regulator had already banned WhatsApp from launching its advertising services on EU territory. The job is active in Brazil.

The perception is that access to financial and health data tends to be excessive in the case of social networks. “There has to be a justification for the relative purpose of this use,” says Brazil’s founding director of data privacy, Bruno Bioni.

Data protection legislation in Europe and Brazil operates on a tripod of purpose, need and adequacy of data processing and use.

Health data will be used in fraud prevention, app functionality and information analysis, according to the Threads page on the Play Store. Peoni says this explanation is vague and flawed in terms of compliance.

However, the director believes that ANPD (National Data Protection Agency) should not interfere with the release of leads in Brazil. “Given the more oriented position since its installation, the ANPD will not take a more aggressive regulatory stance. Unless it identifies a serious violation and without any sign of good faith on the part of the regulated party.”

ANPD counseling was also contacted on Tuesday evening, but had not responded as of this article’s publication.

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