Meta to Halt Political Ads in the EU Over New Transparency Rules
Meta has announced it will stop allowing political advertising on its platforms in the European Union starting October 2025, citing the EU’s new transparency regulations as unworkable. The company described the decision as difficult but necessary due to what it called significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties posed by the incoming rules.
The EU’s Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulations aim to increase accountability in political campaigns by requiring detailed disclosures about ad sponsors, spending, and targeting methods. Meta currently allows political and social issue ads after advertisers complete an authorization process to verify their identity. These ads must also include disclaimers showing who paid for them, with spending details publicly available.
However, Meta argues that the TTPA rules impose excessive restrictions on ad targeting and delivery, creating an untenable level of complexity for advertisers. The EU introduced these measures to combat foreign election interference and the spread of manipulated information that could influence voters.
Under the new rules, political ads must be clearly labeled with information about their source and intent—something Meta claims it already does. The regulations also impose strict conditions on how personal data is processed and ban political ads from non-EU sponsors in the three months leading up to an election or referendum.
Meta warned that users will see fewer relevant ads as a result of these restrictions. The company said it made the decision after extensive discussions with policymakers, where it raised concerns about the impact on personalized advertising. The ban applies only to paid political ads in the EU, meaning users, including politicians, can still discuss and share political content organically.
Meta is not the first tech giant to push back against the EU’s political ad rules. Google stopped serving political ads in the region last year, including on YouTube, and previously avoided fines related to alleged anti-competitive advertising practices.
The move highlights growing tensions between Big Tech and EU regulators over digital advertising rules, with companies arguing that strict regulations limit their ability to operate effectively while lawmakers seek greater transparency to protect democratic processes.
