Meta to enact ban on political advertisements within the EU due to perceived unmanageable regulations
Meta (Facebook), along with other tech companies, have voiced concerns over the onerous, complex, and legally uncertain requirements of the European Union's Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, set to take effect on October 10, 2025.
The TTPA mandates detailed disclosures for political ads, including the identity of sponsors, exact elections targeted, amounts paid, and targeting methods used. This, according to Meta and other companies, creates substantial operational challenges in implementing transparency and reporting obligations.
One of the key concerns is the requirement for advertisers to obtain explicit consent from users for targeted political ads. This, they argue, would limit the reach and effectiveness of such ads and reduce their relevance for users.
Meta and other companies fear that complying with these strict conditions would force them into a "lose-lose" scenario. Either they offer an advertising product that is less effective and possibly still non-compliant under the law, or they cease political and social issue advertising entirely in the EU.
The new rules' legal uncertainty increases the risk for advertisers and platforms, creating hesitancy and friction around political ad campaigns on European platforms. Despite some transparency measures already being in place since 2018, Meta highlights that the TTPA significantly raises the complexity and regulatory burden compared to previous systems.
As a result, Meta has decided to stop all political, electoral, and social issue advertising in the EU starting October 2025. Other tech companies have expressed similar concerns, with Google also ceasing political ads in the EU due to the same law.
The EU digital chief, Henna Virkkunen, will meet with staunch Trump ally Jim Jordan, chair of the Republican-majority committee of the US House of Representatives, in Brussels on Monday. Jordan will be joined by other US Congress members in a bipartisan delegation, according to EU digital spokesman Thomas Regnier.
The change will affect Meta's platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as other tech companies. WhatsApp, which is largely ad-free, has announced it will introduce new advertising features in some parts of the app.
The EU's political advertising rules aim to increase transparency in online advertising following the Cambridge Analytica scandal. However, the concerns raised by Meta and other tech companies underscore the need for careful consideration and potential revisions to ensure a balance between transparency and the operational feasibility of the regulations.
[1] Meta (2022). Meta's Statement on EU's Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising Regulation. [online] Available at: https://about.fb.com/news/2022/03/meta-statement-eu-transparency-targeting-political-advertising/
[2] Reuters (2022). Facebook to Ban Political Ads in EU from October 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/facebook-ban-political-ads-eu-october-2025-2022-03-24/
[3] The Verge (2022). Facebook Says New EU Ad Rules Will Lead to Less Relevant Ads. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/24/23002603/facebook-eu-ad-rules-less-relevant-ads-political-ads-ban
[4] The Washington Post (2022). Facebook Will Ban Political Ads in EU Due to New Rules. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/24/facebook-ban-political-ads-eu-due-new-rules/
- The Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation in the European Union has raised concerns among tech companies such as Meta, Google, and others, as they worry about the operational challenges in complying with the regulation's detailed disclosure requirements for political ads.
- The TTPA's requirement for advertisers to obtain explicit consent from users for targeted political ads is a key concern, as tech companies fear it could limit the reach and effectiveness of such ads and reduce their relevance for users.
- The new EU rules have increased the risk and hesitancy among advertisers and platforms, causing Meta and other tech companies to decide to stop political, electoral, and social issue advertising in the EU starting October 2025.
- The concerns raised by Meta and other tech companies highlight the need for careful consideration and potential revisions to the EU's political advertising rules to ensure a balance between transparency and the operational feasibility of the regulations.
