Meta’s Threads app now attracts approximately 141.5 million daily active users on iOS and Android smartphones, according to market–intelligence firm Similarweb data as of January 7. This represents a lead of over 16 million users compared with Elon Musk–owned X’s 125 million daily mobile users. The growth of Threads underscores Meta’s ability to leverage its broader social ecosystem—integrating features from Instagram and WhatsApp to boost user engagement—and marks a significant milestone in the text-based app’s first year of operation.

Britain’s Gambling Commission publicly criticized Meta for hosting advertisements promoting unlicensed online casinos on Facebook and Instagram, alleging the company “turns a blind eye” to operators targeting UK consumers. The regulator warned that Meta’s failure to implement stringent ad-approval controls could result in enforcement actions, including fines of up to £20 million or 4% of global turnover. Investors should monitor potential compliance costs and reputational impacts as Meta works to enhance its ad-screening algorithms and bolster cooperation with UK authorities.

Following Australia’s decision to restrict users under 16 from major social platforms without parental consent, policymakers in Canada, the European Union and selected Asian markets are reviewing similar proposals. If enacted, age-verification requirements could reduce user growth rates in key demographics and increase moderation expenses. Meta forecasts a 10% rise in content-safety spending this year and is developing new identity-verification tools, but stricter regional regulations may constrain advertising monetization among younger cohorts.

Meta’s focus on artificial intelligence extends beyond software into its own data-center infrastructure and custom silicon. Management projects full-year capital spending of $70–72 billion in 2025, up from $39 billion in 2024, with AI-related build-out exerting “upward pressure” on 2026 capex. The company’s internally developed Llama large-language model has been shared with third-party developers, while in-house AI accelerators and planned tens of gigawatts of new computing capacity aim to enhance ad-targeting and user-engagement tools. This sustained investment underscores Meta’s strategy to differentiate its ad products and open new revenue streams through AI-powered innovations.