Meta plans to prohibit political advertisements across the European Union due to the complex and impractical regulations.
The European Union's political advertising rules, designed to increase transparency in online advertising following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, have led to significant changes in the industry. Major tech companies, such as Meta and Google, have adjusted their policies in response to these new regulations.
The regulations, known as the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA), mandate political ads to have clear labels and disclosures about the sponsor, electoral process, spending, and targeting methods. They also establish a public database for political ads, restrict microtargeting and foreign electoral interference, and impose sanctions for non-compliance.
Meta, formerly Facebook, has announced it will no longer allow political, electoral, and social issue advertising in the EU starting from October 2025. The company cited the regulation's requirements as "unworkable," creating "untenable" complexity and legal uncertainty for both advertisers and platforms. Meta stated that complying fully would require changes that would result in a political ad service that "doesn't work for advertisers or users," leading to their decision to cease political ad offerings rather than compromise functionality.
Google has also criticized the regulation for being too broad and difficult to implement, particularly because of challenges reliably identifying political ads at scale and the absence of reliable local election data needed for labeling. Google has already withdrawn political ads from other regions with stringent regulations such as Brazil, France, and Canada, and it is expected to respond similarly in the EU.
The EU's Digital Services Act is also investigating Facebook and Instagram for potential violations. Meta faces additional daily penalties if it does not make changes to comply with EU regulations, with Brussels yet to decide whether Meta has modified the platforms enough to avoid more fines. In April, the EU imposed a 200-million-euro fine on Meta for violating rules on the use of personal data on Facebook and Instagram.
This decision was made due to "unworkable requirements" under the new TTPA regulations. The current status of political advertising regulations in the EU will be fully applied starting October 15, 2025. The regulations will mandate political ads to have clear labels and disclosures about the sponsor, electoral process, spending, and targeting methods, establish a public database for political ads, restrict microtargeting and foreign electoral interference, and impose sanctions for non-compliance. Very large online platforms must keep records accessible for seven years and may use their general ad repositories if compliant with these rules.
Despite the withdrawal of political ads, both Meta and Google continue to allow political discussion and organic content not classified under political ads. The latest dispute between Meta and the EU is over Meta's "pay or consent" system.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which came to light in 2018, highlighted the need for increased transparency in political advertising. The consulting firm was found to have improperly accessed personal data from millions of Facebook users for targeted political advertising. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has been critical of European rules, accusing Brussels of "censorship" in January.
References: [1] European Commission. (2021). Regulation on transparency and targeting of political advertising. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12522-Regulation-on-transparency-and-targeting-of-political-advertising
[2] European Data Protection Board. (2021). Guidelines 07/2021 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising. Retrieved from https://edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/our-documents/guidelines/guidelines-07-2021-transparency-and-targeting-political-advertising_en
[3] Meta. (2022). Meta to ban political, electoral, and social issue ads in the EU. Retrieved from https://about.fb.com/news/2022/06/meta-to-ban-political-electoral-and-social-issue-ads-in-the-eu/
[4] The Verge. (2022). Google to ban political ads in the EU due to significant new operational challenges and legal uncertainties. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/16/23176760/google-political-ads-ban-eu-election-advertising-transparency-targeting-regulation
[5] TechCrunch. (2022). Meta says it will stop selling political, electoral, and social issue ads in the EU. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/16/meta-to-stop-selling-political-electoral-and-social-issue-ads-in-the-eu/
- The changes in the European Union's political advertising rules, known as the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA), have led to Meta and Google adjusting their policies, but both companies have criticized the regulations for being too broad and difficult to implement.
- The TTPA mandates political ads to have clear labels and disclosures, establish a public database for political ads, restrict microtargeting and foreign electoral interference, and impose sanctions for non-compliance. However, Meta and Google argue that complying with these regulations could result in a political ad service that doesn't work for advertisers or users.
- Despite the withdrawal of political ads, Meta and Google continue to allow political discussion and organic content not classified under political ads. The current status of political advertising regulations in the EU will be fully applied starting October 15, 2025, and very large online platforms must keep records accessible for seven years and may use their general ad repositories if compliant with these rules.
