Meta's Threads app is finally getting ads

Meta has commenced a limited early test of advertisements on its Threads app, marking the platform's first step towards monetisation since its launch in July 2023.

According to Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram and executive overseeing Threads, the initial ad rollout will involve a "handful of brands" in the United States and Japan. These advertisements will appear as large images interspersed between posts in users' home feeds.

The company plans a cautious approach, stating they will "monitor to see how it's going before filling out more broadly". Ad targeting will draw from multiple data sources, including user activity on Threads and Instagram, posts users interact with, their email addresses, and activity from platforms outside Meta's technologies.

Users will have several control mechanisms for managing ads, including options to customise, skip, hide, and report advertisements through their account centre.

This development aligns with Mosseri's confirmation from last April that Threads would eventually incorporate advertising. The app has already achieved significant user engagement, boasting over 300 million monthly users, with three-quarters of users following at least one business account. Threads. Meta launched the app in July 2023 to rival X, formerly known as Twitter, which Elon Musk purchased for $44 billion in late 2022.

Participating businesses will access Meta's brand-safety tool, ensuring sponsored content does not appear alongside potentially offensive material. The test ads will resemble sponsored content familiar to Facebook and Instagram users.