Meta to Begin Testing Ads on Threads in the US and Japan

Meta says it will start to show image ads in the Threads home feed for a small percentage of users.

By Reuters | Updated: 25 January 2025 18:37 IST

Highlights

Meta is now testing ads in the US and Japan
The microblogging platform will show users image ads in between posts
Threads ads come weeks after Meta's content moderation makeover

Meta to Begin Testing Ads on Threads in the US and Japan

Threads was launched in July 2023 as a challenger to X, formerly Twitter

Photo Credit: Reuters

Meta Platforms will begin test launching ads on its social media platform Threads with a few brands in the U.S. and Japan, it said on Friday, as the app hits over 300 million monthly active users.

During early testing starting Friday, image ads will appear in the Threads home feed, placed between content posts for a small percentage of users, Meta said in a blog.

The social media giant said it will monitor the test closely before scaling it broadly, adding that businesses will be able to extend their existing Meta ad campaigns to Threads.

WhatsApp, Meta Win Relief as NCLAT Suspends Data Sharing Ban

Meta will also begin testing an inventory filter for ads in Threads, which enabled through AI, allows advertisers to control the sensitivity level of the organic content their ads appear next to.

"The launch of Threads ads just weeks after Meta's content moderation makeover will raise advertiser eyebrows. But the volatility at TikTok is spurring brands to seek alternatives, and Meta isn't going to pass up an opportunity to throw Threads into the mix," said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Emarketer.

Meta earlier this month scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, three of the world's biggest social media platforms with more than 3 billion users globally.

Meta Plans Oakley-Branded Glasses, Explores Watches and Earbuds

Threads was launched in July 2023 as a challenger to X, formerly Twitter, in a bid to win users from the de facto micro-blogging site during its chaotic takeover by billionaire Elon Musk.

Meta does not expect Threads to be "a meaningful driver of 2025 revenue," CFO Susan Li had said in a post-earnings call in October.

The company plans to spend as much as $65 billion this year to expand its AI infrastructure, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier on Friday, aiming to bolster the company's position against rivals OpenAI and Google in the race to dominate the technology.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.