Meta to pull political ads in EU in response to new disinformation rules
will stop running political advertising in the
EU
from October, criticising 'unworkable requirements' under a new European law designed to increase transparency in digital campaigning.
On Friday, the social media giant said it would no longer allow ads related to 'political, electoral and social issues' on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
The move comes ahead of the full implementation of the EU's Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation, which introducing conditions on how online platforms serve political content to users.
The regulation is designed to address concerns around information manipulation and foreign interference in elections, as well as the processing of personal data for political advertising.
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It forms part of a broader push by Brussels to safeguard the democratic process and limit disinformation online. While the regulation is already in force, most provisions will only start to apply in October.
Meta's move is in keeping with a more confrontational approach the US tech giant has taken with European regulators since Donald Trump was elected. The group has become one of the most vocal US tech companies criticising the EU's digital rule book, which has become a flashpoint in transatlantic trade talks and a target of criticism from the Trump administration.
Meta said the TTPA regulation introduces 'significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties' and has thus decided to no longer allow such ads on its platforms in the EU. This limitation only applies to ads, so people or candidates can still post about or discuss politics on Meta's platforms.
'We continue to believe online political advertising is a vital part of modern politics, connecting people to important information about the politicians that represent them, and ensuring candidates have a cost-effective way of reaching their audiences,' the company said in a post.
Meta's decision follows a similar decision by Google, which said last year it would stop political advertising before the regulation enters into force.
'Once again, we're seeing Europe's regulatory regime effectively remove popular products and services from the market, reducing choice and competition,' Meta said.
The European Commission has several investigations running as to whether Meta is in breach of the bloc's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act.
Earlier this month, Meta also said it would not sign the EU's artificial intelligence code of practice, a set of guidelines that help companies follow the AI Act's rules around general-purpose AI that come into effect in early August.
Meta said the code introduced legal uncertainties and goes far beyond the scope of the AI Act, but other leading US groups such as OpenAI and Anthropic have pledged to sign up to it. --Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
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