Threads, Meta’s short-form text platform, is now available to users in the European Union (EU), intensifying competition with rival platform X. The EU launch, marked by a countdown teaser, is a strategic move by Meta to capture the European market. Launched in July as a sister platform to Facebook and Instagram, Threads positions itself as a direct competitor to X in short-form text communication.

Despite the anticipation among European users, Threads experienced delays in its EU launch to ensure compliance with unique regulatory requirements in the region. The platform’s growth, reaching around 100 million monthly active users as of October, can be attributed to users seeking alternatives to X due to dissatisfaction with Elon Musk’s decision-making.

Threads, presenting itself as a more friendly and less divisive community, has largely delivered on its promise. However, users have urged the platform to enhance features for easier content and community discovery.

The expansion of Threads to the EU poses an additional challenge to the embattled platform, formerly known as Twitter. Simultaneously facing an advertiser exodus over concerns about hate speech and Musk’s promotion of fringe ideologies, X now contends with the option for millions more users to switch to Threads.

Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, expressed his aim to grow Threads to more than 1 billion users worldwide in the coming years. While the platform is still some distance from that milestone, the EU launch brings it one step closer.

Threads, which launched in July amid a challenging period for X, has quietly continued to build out the app and grow its daily user base. Recent features include a desktop version, a following feed, and topic tags, making content discovery more accessible for users.

Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, overseeing Threads, announced plans to extend fact-checking on the platform in the new year, emphasizing Meta’s commitment to ongoing enhancements and user satisfaction.