Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, will stop allowing political advertising in the European Union, starting in early October 2025. The decision stems from the EU's new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which Meta deems "unworkable" due to the "significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties" it introduces.
The TTPA, set to take effect on October 10, 2025, aims to increase transparency and accountability in online political advertising. It requires platforms to clearly label political ads, disclose who paid for them and how much, and specify which elections or referendums are being targeted. The regulation also mandates that platforms preserve ads in a database and obtain explicit consent from users before targeting them with political advertising. Noncompliance could result in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global turnover.
Meta argues that the TTPA places excessive obligations on advertisers and platforms, creating an "untenable level of complexity". The company contends that complying with the regulation would overly restrict advertisers and lead to users seeing less relevant ads. Meta also suggests that the strict limits on ad targeting threaten personalized advertising and could negatively impact voters' access to information about social issues. However, the European Commission maintains that the TTPA is necessary to make political influence campaigns more transparent and fair, especially in a digital environment where misinformation can spread rapidly.
Meta's decision mirrors a similar move by Google, which announced last year that it would also stop serving political ads in the EU before the TTPA takes effect. Both companies cite similar reasons, including the operational and legal hurdles imposed by the new regulation. Meta stated that the TTPA introduces significant, additional obligations to their processes and systems that create an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU.
The ban will affect political parties, NGOs, and advocacy groups across the EU, who will no longer be able to run paid ads on Facebook and Instagram. While these groups can still post content and reach followers organically, their reach could be drastically reduced without paid targeting tools. Analysts suggest that the TTPA will likely disproportionately affect independent candidates and smaller parties that lack the resources and following of larger parties. Campaigns may shift toward smaller digital channels, traditional media, and direct voter engagement strategies.
Meta has emphasized that its decision only applies to paid political ads in the EU. Users will still be able to post and debate about politics on Meta's platforms. However, the absence of paid political ads could lead to concerns about misinformation filling the void.
The move comes amidst increasing scrutiny of Meta's practices in the EU. The European Commission is currently investigating Facebook and Instagram over their suspected failure to tackle disinformation and deceptive advertising in the lead-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections. This investigation falls under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires Big Tech companies to do more to counter illegal and harmful content on their platforms or risk fines. Meta is also facing criticism over its "pay or consent" system regarding user data, with the EU slapping a €200 million fine on the company in April.
