Meta has decided to end political and social issue ads in Europe in October due to stringent EU regulations.
Meta platforms will end political, electoral, and social issue advertising in Europe from October due to significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties under the European Union’s (EU) rules targeting political advertising.
Meta’s move comes after Alphabet unit – Google announced a similar decision last November, underscoring Big Tech‘s pushback against EU rules aimed at reining in their power and ensuring that they are more accountable and transparent.
All about the latest EU rule
The European Union legislation declared that the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation will apply from October 10, 2025.
The decision is said to be triggered by concerns about disinformation and foreign interference in elections across the 27-country bloc.
The EU law will make it compulsory for Big Tech companies to clearly label political advertising on their platforms, along with details such as who paid for it and how much, as well as which elections are being targeted.
If the companies fail to comply, they can risk fines up to 6 per cent of their annual turnover, reported Reuters.
How did Meta react?
In response to the TTPA obligations, Meta said that it will create an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU, adding that the EU rules will ultimately hurt Europeans.
“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,” Meta told Reuters.
“Regulations, like the TTPA, significantly undermine our ability to offer these services, not only impacting effectiveness of advertisers’ outreach but also the ability of voters to access comprehensive information,” the tech giant added.
