![Privacy Concerns Surround Meta's Threads App, Delaying EU Launch](https://surgezirc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/21ff0dec3b8043807d8a335aafd24f8d.png)
Meta’s highly anticipated app, Threads, is facing significant privacy concerns that have led to a delayed launch in the European Union (EU).
Mandatory disclosures on iOS reveal that the app may collect sensitive user information, including health and financial data, precise location, browsing history, and contacts.
You May Also Like: Meta’s Pursuit Of Massive Recommendation Models Raises Concerns
Given Meta’s history of tracking and profiling users for behavioral advertising, the app’s privacy implications are alarming. However, with recent legal rulings and upcoming regulations in the EU, Meta’s data-for-ads processing and handling of sensitive information face even greater scrutiny.
Previously, Meta claimed the legal basis for processing Facebook users’ personal data was the performance of a contract. However, this claim was found unlawful earlier this year. Meta subsequently shifted its stance to a claim of legitimate interest for data-for-ads processing.
Nonetheless, the EU’s highest court recently ruled that this legal basis is not suitable for Meta’s behavioral ads either, emphasizing the need for explicit user consent.
Moreover, under current EU law, the processing of sensitive information, such as health data, requires an even higher standard of explicit consent to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Meta would need specific permission to process sensitive health data.
Additionally, upcoming EU regulations will prohibit the use of sensitive data for advertisements and may necessitate explicit consent from tech giants to combine data for ad profiling (as outlined in the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act).
This adds further legal uncertainty for Meta’s data-driven business model. Designated gatekeepers are required to comply with the Digital Markets Act by next spring, and very large online platforms must meet obligations under the Digital Services Act by August 25.
Currently, Meta does not provide users with a general upfront choice to deny tracking and profiling, let alone explicitly ask for consent to share health data with advertisers.
With stricter regulations on surveillance ads looming in the EU, an app that aims to track everything for maximum advertiser appeal will face significant challenges with regional regulators.
Furthermore, Meta recently received an order to stop transferring EU user data to the US for processing and was fined nearly $1.3 billion for violating the GDPR’s requirements on data exports.
Although this order specifically applies to Facebook, it could potentially be extended to other Meta services that fail to adequately protect European users’ data by implementing robust measures such as zero-knowledge architecture and end-to-end encryption.
Unfortunately, Threads does not appear to prioritize such privacy features.To comply with EU law, Meta would need to undergo a fundamental transformation in its approach, ensuring user choice and control over tracking.
However, given its track record and the attention-grabbing nature of its business, which compelled Meta to undergo a costly rebrand to distance itself from Facebook, it is questionable whether Meta’s corporate image detoxification has been successful.
You May Also Like: Meta Enhances Transparency And User Control Over AI Recommendations
Interestingly, instead of explicitly marketing Threads as a Meta app, the company has chosen to associate it with Instagram, referring to it as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app” in the App Store listing.
This strategic decision may leverage Instagram’s large and engaged community to quickly establish a user base for Threads.