Meta Platforms Inc., owner of Facebook, Instagram and Threads, announced on Friday that it will stop accepting all political, electoral and social issue advertisements across the European Union from October 2025.
The decision is in response to new EU legislation governing online political advertising, which Meta says imposes excessive operational demands and legal uncertainty.
The move means that Meta’s platforms—the largest digital advertising spaces in the EU alongside Google—will no longer host paid content related to political campaigns, referendums, or social advocacy. The change is scheduled to take effect in early October, shortly before the bloc’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation enters into force on 10 October.
In a statement published on its corporate blog, Meta described the TTPA as “unworkable,” warning that the rules “introduce significant, additional obligations to our processes and systems that create an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU.”
The company clarified that users, candidates and elected officials in the EU will still be able to post and engage with political content organically. The restriction applies only to paid advertising. “This decision won’t prevent people or candidates from debating politics on our platforms,” Meta said, “but they will no longer be able to amplify those messages through paid promotion.”
The regulation, adopted by the European Commission in 2024, is designed to increase transparency in digital campaigning. It requires all political advertisements to include clear labels indicating the sponsor, the election or legislative process supported, the amount spent on the advertisement, and the targeting criteria used. In addition, platforms must maintain a public archive of all such ads.
The law also limits the types of data that may be used for targeting. Advertisers must obtain explicit consent to use personal data for political messaging, and the use of sensitive data—such as a person’s race, ethnicity, or political opinions—is strictly prohibited. These provisions are intended to safeguard personal privacy and reduce the risk of manipulation through microtargeted messaging.
Meta, which earns the majority of its revenue through advertising, said the cumulative demands of the law were too great to implement effectively. It noted that the complexity and ambiguity of the legislation could result in inconsistent enforcement, putting both advertisers and platforms at legal risk.
The company added that it had previously introduced its own political advertising transparency tools to disclose advertiser identities, targeting methods, and campaign spending. Meta argued that the EU’s law, though well-intentioned, risks unintended consequences by undermining existing systems and limiting competition. “Once again, we’re seeing regulatory obligations effectively remove popular products and services from the market, reducing choice and competition,” it said.
Google, Meta’s principal rival in the digital advertising market, announced a similar policy change in 2024. The company raised concerns over the broad scope of the regulation and its lack of reliable local electoral data, which complicates efforts to label ads accurately at scale. Google has previously withdrawn political advertising services in other jurisdictions with strict rules, including Brazil, France and Canada.
The combined departure of Meta and Google from the EU’s political advertising space presents a significant challenge for campaigns, NGOs and advocacy groups that rely on digital platforms for visibility and voter outreach. With the two largest online advertising providers stepping back, many organisations may need to reconsider how they engage audiences ahead of future elections.
The European Commission maintains that the regulation is a necessary step to ensure the integrity of democratic processes. The rules are part of a broader legislative package aimed at curbing disinformation, limiting foreign interference, and increasing platform accountability. Penalties for non-compliance can reach up to 6% of a company’s global annual revenue.
Critics from the digital industry, however, have warned that the law’s broad definitions and rigid compliance demands risk reducing political pluralism online by restricting the ability of smaller political parties and civil society organisations to reach voters.
The TTPA is the latest in a series of regulatory measures introduced by Brussels targeting the technology sector. Other major frameworks include the Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), all designed to create a more transparent and accountable digital environment.
As the regulation nears implementation, attention is now likely to focus on whether other platforms—such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and LinkedIn—will follow Meta and Google in withdrawing from the EU’s political advertising market. The outcome may shape the future of digital campaigning across the continent.
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