Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall, blaming bloc's new rules
The social media giant said in a blog post that it will no longer allow ads for political, electoral and social issues on its platforms, which also include Threads, starting in early October.
The company said it was making the decision because of the 27-nation EU's 'unworkable' Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulations.
The rules introduce 'significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties,' Meta said.
It's not the first Big Tech company to make such a move. Google said last year that it would stop serving EU users political ads before the rules take effect, in an announcement that cited similar reasons.
Under the regulations, which are set to take effect on Oct. 10, platforms will have to label political ads, disclosing who paid for them, and what campaign, referendum or legislative process they're connected to. Ads will have to be preserved in a database, and they can only be targeted to users under strict conditions.
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,' Meta said.
Violations can be hit with fines worth up to 6% of a company's annual global revenue.
The rules are part of Brussels' wider efforts to counter foreign influence and manipulation in elections, and dovetail with the bloc's other regulations designed to protect citizens' privacy and hold platforms more accountable for internet users' online safety. But those moves clash with President Donald Trump's administration, which has lashed out at the EU's digital rulemaking.
Meta said its decision won't affect users who want to debate politics on its platforms or prevent politicians, candidates and officer holders from 'sharing political content organically.'
'They just won't be able to amplify this through paid advertising,' it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Up 68% but still yielding 7.1%, I've been loading up on Aberdeen shares
After hitting an all-time low back in April, Aberdeen (LSE: ABDN) shares have been on a tear. The mammoth dividend yield of 11.6% may have gone, but there aren't many large, well-known stocks out there that continue to offer market-beating returns. Improving numbers The asset manager is due to report H1 results next week. Should the positive momentum seen in Q1 continue, then we could be on the cusp of a major recovery in its share price. Last quarter, its direct-to-consumer offering, interactive investor (ii) continued its strong growth momentum. Total customer numbers were up to 450,000. This included 88,000 high-value SIPP accounts. ii has been very successful in tapping into a growing trend – the increasing importance of private investors to markets. With the spread of online investment forums, YouTube, and the like, individual investors have more power to move markets than at any time in history. Last quarter, during the tariff-induced selloff, ii saw record levels of engagement with an average of 24,000 trades per day on the platform. In the first half of April, it saw four of its highest trading days ever, as private investors swooped to buy stocks on the cheap. Fund outflows For all the success of ii, the reality is that a sustained recovery in Aberdeen's share price will only occur if it can get a grip on falling assets under management. Over the last few years, its Adviser business has simply haemorrhaged funds. The business is working hard to regain the trust of independent financial advisers, who recommend funds for their clients to buy. In Q1, Adviser saw outflows of £600m. This was its 'best' performance over the past six quarters. A couple of years back, outflows were in the billions. By 2026, it's aiming for greater than 70% of its total funds to beat a benchmark index. I certainly expect it to achieve that with its bond funds, which regularly hit over 90%. But I'm less confident that equity-only funds will achieve that milestone. It's not just Aberdeen equity funds that struggle to beat a benchmark; this is an industry-wide problem. Over the last few years, unless a fund manager was invested in the Magnificent 7 stocks, it had zero chance of beating the S&P 500, the most tracked index. Structural trends If it can get its Adviser business back to profitability, then the opportunity is massive. Despite recent blunders, like the ill-fated 'abrdn' fiasco, I still view the asset manager as one of the most respected in the industry. The UK wealth industry is growing. Over the next 25 years, over £5.5trn of wealth will be passed on by the baby boomers. In the more immediate future, over the next three years, the number of people retiring annually is estimated to be about 750,000. Now more than ever people are beginning to wake up to the fact that the State Pension will no longer fund the kind of retirement they want. With deep expertise in long-term financial planning, Aberdeen looks well placed to provide innovative retirement solutions. Over the last few months, I have been loading up on the stock at every available opportunity. I think my future self will thank me. The post Up 68% but still yielding 7.1%, I've been loading up on Aberdeen shares appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Andrew Mackie owns shares in Aberdeen. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dätwyler Holding AG (VTX:DAE) Interim Results: Here's What Analysts Are Forecasting For This Year
Shareholders of Dätwyler Holding AG (VTX:DAE) will be pleased this week, given that the stock price is up 18% to CHF147 following its latest half-year results. Dätwyler Holding reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of CHF563m and statutory earnings per share of CHF1.83, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. Earnings are an important time for investors, as they can track a company's performance, look at what the analysts are forecasting for next year, and see if there's been a change in sentiment towards the company. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. Following last week's earnings report, Dätwyler Holding's five analysts are forecasting 2025 revenues to be CHF1.11b, approximately in line with the last 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to shoot up 179% to CHF4.98. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of CHF1.13b and earnings per share (EPS) of CHF4.52 in 2025. Although the revenue estimates have not really changed, we can see there's been a nice gain to earnings per share expectations, suggesting that the analysts have become more bullish after the latest result. Check out our latest analysis for Dätwyler Holding The consensus price target was unchanged at CHF153, implying that the improved earnings outlook is not expected to have a long term impact on value creation for shareholders. Fixating on a single price target can be unwise though, since the consensus target is effectively the average of analyst price targets. As a result, some investors like to look at the range of estimates to see if there are any diverging opinions on the company's valuation. Currently, the most bullish analyst values Dätwyler Holding at CHF219 per share, while the most bearish prices it at CHF125. This is a fairly broad spread of estimates, suggesting that analysts are forecasting a wide range of possible outcomes for the business. Looking at the bigger picture now, one of the ways we can make sense of these forecasts is to see how they measure up against both past performance and industry growth estimates. It's pretty clear that there is an expectation that Dätwyler Holding's revenue growth will slow down substantially, with revenues to the end of 2025 expected to display 2.4% growth on an annualised basis. This is compared to a historical growth rate of 5.9% over the past five years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 4.7% per year. Factoring in the forecast slowdown in growth, it seems obvious that Dätwyler Holding is also expected to grow slower than other industry participants. The Bottom Line The biggest takeaway for us is the consensus earnings per share upgrade, which suggests a clear improvement in sentiment around Dätwyler Holding's earnings potential next year. Fortunately, the analysts also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, suggesting that it's tracking in line with expectations. Although our data does suggest that Dätwyler Holding's revenue is expected to perform worse than the wider industry. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. Following on from that line of thought, we think that the long-term prospects of the business are much more relevant than next year's earnings. We have estimates - from multiple Dätwyler Holding analysts - going out to 2027, and you can see them free on our platform here. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 5 warning signs for Dätwyler Holding that you need to be mindful of. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mensch und Maschine Software Second Quarter 2025 Earnings: Misses Expectations
Mensch und Maschine Software (ETR:MUM) Second Quarter 2025 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: €54.8m (down 27% from 2Q 2024). Net income: €7.11m (down 6.9% from 2Q 2024). Profit margin: 13% (up from 10% in 2Q 2024). The increase in margin was driven by lower expenses. EPS: €0.42 (down from €0.45 in 2Q 2024). This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Mensch und Maschine Software Revenues and Earnings Miss Expectations Revenue missed analyst estimates by 2.6%. Earnings per share (EPS) also missed analyst estimates by 1.1%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 5.2% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 11% growth forecast for the Software industry in Germany. Performance of the German Software industry. The company's shares are down 8.1% from a week ago. Risk Analysis We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Mensch und Maschine Software that you need to be mindful of. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
