Meta’s Threads has grown to approximately 141.5 million daily active mobile users as of January 7, surpassing Elon Musk’s X, which recorded roughly 125 million. Data from Similarweb show that Threads’ mobile user base has expanded steadily since its 2023 launch, driven by integrations with Instagram’s algorithmic recommendations and a roll-out of interactive features such as polls, live Q&A and topic tagging. This milestone underlines Meta’s ability to leverage its larger app ecosystem—totaling 3.5 billion daily users across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads—to drive adoption of new platforms and retain user engagement over competing text-based services.

On January 15, Britain’s Gambling Commission issued a formal notice accusing Meta of permitting unlicensed online casino operators to advertise on Facebook and Instagram. In a review of over 2,000 ad impressions collected between September and December 2025, the Commission identified more than 150 instances of ads promoting gambling services without proper UK or EEA licenses. Meta has been ordered to provide detailed evidence of new ad-screening protocols by February 28 or face potential fines of up to 10% of global revenue under the UK’s Online Safety Act. Investors may view this as a reputational risk that could pressure compliance costs and ad revenue growth in Europe.

Following Australia’s decision to ban under-16s from major social networks, regulators in Canada, Germany and Brazil are reportedly evaluating similar measures targeting Meta’s platforms. In a December discussion paper, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Family Affairs cited evidence that 20% of German users aged 12–15 are active on Instagram without parental oversight, raising child safety concerns. If other jurisdictions adopt age-verification requirements or outright youth bans, Meta could face incremental compliance costs estimated at $500 million annually, and a potential 5–8% dip in quarterly user growth metrics in key markets.

Meta has guided full-year capital expenditures of $70–72 billion for 2025, a 20% increase from 2024’s $58 billion outlay, underscoring its strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence. These funds are earmarked for hundreds of megawatts of new data-center capacity and the deployment of in-house AI chips to support its Llama large language models. Management projects that AI-driven product enhancements—such as personalized virtual assistants in Facebook and Instagram—could boost average daily user time on app by 10–15%, potentially translating to mid-single-digit percentage gains in ad monetization rates over the next two years.