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Meta to Suspend Political and Social Issue Ads in EU Ahead of New Regulations

By  |  July 26, 2025

Meta Platforms announced plans to suspend all political, electoral, and social issue advertising across its platforms in the European Union starting in early October.

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    The decision, disclosed in a company blog post on Friday, comes as the EU prepares to implement new regulations under the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) law. The rules, which take effect October 10, aim to curb disinformation and foreign meddling in elections by mandating stricter transparency measures for political advertising.

    According to Reuters, Meta cited “legal uncertainties” and “operational challenges” tied to the new law as the primary reasons for the advertising ban. The company emphasized that complying with the TTPA would be difficult and might hinder its ability to support campaigns that aim to inform the public on key societal issues.

    “This is a difficult decision,” Meta stated in its post. “We believe that personalised ads are critical to a wide range of advertisers, including those engaged on campaigns to inform voters about important social issues that shape public discourse.”

    The move places Meta in line with Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which made a similar announcement in November 2024. As noted by Reuters, these decisions underscore a broader pushback from tech giants against EU efforts to tighten oversight and enforce accountability in the digital advertising space.

    Under the new EU rules, tech companies will be required to clearly label political ads, disclose who paid for them, how much was spent, and specify which elections are being targeted. Noncompliance could result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual turnover.

    Read more: Meta Settles Multibillion-Dollar Lawsuit with Shareholders Over Cambridge Analytica Fallout

    Meta warned that these regulations could ultimately disadvantage European users and advertisers alike. Per Reuters, the company argued that such restrictions diminish the effectiveness of outreach efforts and limit voter access to vital information.

    In parallel with these developments, Meta’s platforms Facebook and Instagram are currently under investigation by the European Commission. Authorities are probing whether the company has failed to adequately address disinformation and misleading advertisements ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections. This probe falls under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a broader legislative framework that compels major online platforms to combat illegal and harmful content or face steep penalties.

    Other platforms are also under scrutiny. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, is being investigated over potential failures to prevent election interference, particularly during Romania’s presidential vote last year.

    Source: Reuters