Meta to Introduce Ads on Threads Amid Surge to 300 Million Users

Meta Platforms is set to initiate the rollout of advertisements on Threads, its burgeoning social media platform, following its achievement of over 300 million monthly active users. The initial phase of testing will feature select brands in the United States and Japan, the company announced on Friday.

Starting this week, image-based ads will be strategically embedded within the Threads home feed, interspersed among user-generated content. This trial will involve a limited subset of users as Meta evaluates its performance, the company disclosed in a blog post.

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The tech giant confirmed plans to meticulously assess the experiment before expanding ad placements across the platform. Businesses will have the capability to integrate Threads into their existing Meta ad campaigns, ensuring seamless cross-platform advertising strategies.

Additionally, Meta plans to pilot an advanced inventory filter on Threads. This AI-powered tool will allow advertisers to manage the contextual environment surrounding their ads, adjusting the sensitivity level of adjacent organic content.

The move to monetize Threads comes on the heels of Meta's recent updates to its content moderation practices. While the introduction of ads may provoke concerns among advertisers, analysts suggest that brands are increasingly eyeing Threads as a viable alternative amid TikTok’s unpredictability. “The turbulence at TikTok is driving brands to explore other platforms, and Meta is seizing the opportunity to position Threads as part of their ecosystem,” said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Emarketer.

Earlier this month, Meta discontinued its fact-checking initiative in the United States for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Combined, these platforms boast over 3 billion users globally, reinforcing Meta's dominance in the social media space.

Threads, launched in July 2023, was designed to rival X—formerly known as Twitter—during its tumultuous transition under Elon Musk’s ownership. Despite its rapid growth, Meta CFO Susan Li noted during an October earnings call that Threads is not expected to significantly contribute to revenue in 2025.

In a parallel effort to strengthen its competitive edge, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed plans to allocate up to $65 billion this year to enhance Meta’s AI infrastructure. This investment aims to solidify the company's position against tech rivals OpenAI and Google in the race for AI supremacy.