• by Colin Kirkland , January 24, 2025

Threads will soon have ads. On Friday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that Meta is beginning a “limited, early test of ads” in the microblogging social-media platform, with “a small number of advertisers” and users in select regions. 

Ads have been a long-awaited feature for brands curious about capturing the attention of Threads’ 300 million monthly active users. Enabled with AI, Threads’ inventory filter for ads allows advertisers to control the sensitivity level of the organic content their ads appear next to, according to Meta. 

Despite Meta’s recent decision to end fact-checking across its platforms, the tech giant makes a point in mentioning that businesses participating in this test will “benefit from familiar brand safety and suitability solutions,” while participating consumers will have access to controls that help them tailor their ad experience on Threads. 

Content that violates the company’s Community Standards will not be eligible for ad adjacency 

The company says that it has surveys and other “measures” in place to help users understand what ads people enjoy and deliver what feels most relevant to them. Additionally, people will have controls on the ads they see in the feed, informing them of how their personal data is being used for ads, with options to alter the collection process. 

“For example, if people see an ad they don't like, they can skip the ad, or tap the menu on the post to hide or report it,” the company explains in a blog post. 

Furthermore, businesses included in the test will be invited to extend their existing Meta ad campaigns to Threads “without the need for bespoke creative or additional resourcing” by checking a box in Ads Manager. 

Mosseri says that during early testing, ads in the Threads feed will be image ads that appear between pieces of content “for a small percentage of people.” One and a half years into Threads’ existence, three out of four users on the platform follow at least one business.