Traces of an advertising placement mechanism were found in the Threads code, but there will be no monetization on the platform yet

Several developers and reverse-engineers have found references to advertising products in the Threads app code, including mention of the word “ads” itself, as well as references to sponsored posts and ad customization. The administration of the Instagram✴ platform responsible for the microblogging service stated that testing of advertising in Threads has not yet been carried out, and there are no plans to launch monetization.

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Several developers have found references to advertising mechanisms on the platform in the Threads app package. Specifically, Chris Messina found a JSON file named “bcn_single_image_ad” with a link to a sample ad unit. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi was even able to make one of his posts appear sponsored by appearing next to a user’s name in Threads.

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This indicates that Threads engineers are researching advertising technologies, but does not mean that advertising will appear on the platform in the near future. “We are not currently testing advertising in Threads, and no specific monetization [launch] timeline has been set,” Instagram✴ spokesperson Alec Booker told TechCrunch. This is consistent with a message to investors previously made by Meta✴ CEO Mark Zuckerberg: the platform first needs to improve the core functionality for users, make efforts to retain people and maximize its audience, and then begin working on monetization. Threads is gradually acquiring new features: cross-posting from Instagram✴, audience analytics and much more.