Meta's Threads Rolls Out Ads to Global Advertisers

Months after limited ad testing in select markets, Meta has officially opened the ad floodgates for its Instagram-linked app, Threads. Starting now, eligible advertisers globally can place ads within the Threads feed, marking a significant step in Meta’s monetization strategy for the platform. With over 320 million monthly active users, Threads is now positioned as a formidable player in the social media advertising space, going head-to-head with Elon Musk’s X.

Ads Rolled Out by Default — with Some Control

For advertisers using Meta’s Advantage+ or Manual Placements, Threads feed ads are enabled by default. However, Manual Placement users can opt out if desired. While the infrastructure is now in place globally, the actual delivery of ads will still roll out gradually, starting with select markets — notably the U.S. and Japan, where Meta began its ad tests.

A key feature accompanying this rollout is an inventory filter that gives advertisers control over the sensitivity level of content their ads appear alongside — a nod to brand safety in a post-Twitter world where advertisers have become more cautious.

Threads: From Growth Hack to Growth Engine

Threads’ rapid ascent hasn’t been entirely organic. Launched as a companion to Instagram, the app leveraged Instagram’s existing social graph to jumpstart user engagement. This allowed Threads to grow rapidly, reportedly adding more than 1 million users per day and reaching a total user base of over 320 million monthly actives. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has even predicted Threads could reach over 1 billion users in the next several years.

But this growth hack has not gone unnoticed. Meta’s bundling strategy — using its dominance in Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to launch new apps — is currently under scrutiny in an antitrust case brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which could potentially force Meta to divest from Instagram and WhatsApp.

Borrowing from the New Wave of Social Media

To stay relevant and innovative, Threads has borrowed features from decentralized platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky. It’s working toward integrating with the ActivityPub protocol — the same protocol that powers Mastodon — which would connect Threads to the broader decentralized web (fediverse). If completed, Threads could instantly become the largest app in that ecosystem, which currently has around 16 million users excluding Threads.

Threads has also adopted user-centric features from Bluesky, such as custom feeds and curated “Starter Packs” of users to follow. However, it still lacks some of Bluesky’s user controls, like personalized moderation and a customizable default feed — features increasingly valued in the social media landscape.

What’s Next?

With its global ad expansion, Threads is no longer just a fast-growing app riding on Instagram’s coattails — it’s a serious contender in the social media business. As it grows more independent in both features and monetization, Threads must now prove that it can retain users and drive advertiser ROI at scale, all while navigating regulatory scrutiny and a shifting digital landscape.

Whether Threads will live up to its billion-user potential remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Meta is all-in.