Meta Platforms will begin testing launching ads on its Threads social media platform with a few brands in the United States and Japan, the company announced Friday, as the app surpasses 300 million monthly active users.
During initial testing beginning Friday, ad images will appear in Threads’ home feed, placed between content posts for a small percentage of users, Meta said in a blog post.
The social media giant said it will closely monitor the test before rolling it out widely, adding that businesses will be able to extend their existing Meta ad campaigns to Threads.
Meta will also begin testing an inventory filter for ads in Threads, which, using 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 overhaul will raise eyebrows among advertisers. But TikTok’s volatility has brands looking for alternatives, and Meta isn’t going to pass up the opportunity to throw Threads into the mix,” said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Emarketer.
-Earlier this month, Meta removed its US fact-checking program from Facebook, Instagram and Threads, three of the world’s largest social media platforms with more than 3 billion users.
Threads launched in July 2023 as a challenger to X, formerly Twitter, in an attempt to gain users of the de facto micro-blogging site during its chaotic takeover by billionaire Elon Musk.
Meta does not expect Threads to be “a significant driver of 2025 revenue,” Chief Financial Officer Susan Li said during a post-earnings conference call in October.
The company plans to spend up to $65 billion this year to develop its AI infrastructure, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier Friday, aiming to strengthen the company’s position against rivals OpenAI and Google in the race for technological domination.
