Latest news with #electioncampaigns
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall, blaming bloc's new rules
LONDON — Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said Friday that it will stop all political advertising in the European Union by October, blaming legal uncertainty over new rules designed to increase transparency in election campaigns. 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.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Meta will cease political ads in European Union by fall, blaming bloc's new rules
LONDON (AP) — Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said Friday that it will stop all political advertising in the European Union by October, blaming legal uncertainty over new rules designed to increase transparency in election campaigns. 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.
Mail & Guardian
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Unpacking the dangers of the proposed amendments to Zambia's constitution, Part II
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema. In this series on Zambia, Part II looks at legalising the use of public resources for election campaigns. ( The second benefit that Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema seeks to achieve through Article 81 (3) of Once parliament is dissolved by operation of law, MPs are no longer MPs and lose access to all the Dissolving parliament long before the election is important to the democratic process for two reasons. First, it allows those who were MPs before dissolution to focus on political campaigning instead of being encumbered by parliamentary business. Second, it prevents MPs from using Through Bill 7, Hichilema is proposing two amendments to the provisions governing dissolution. The first proposal is to amend article 81 (3) to read: 'Parliament shall stand dissolved a day preceding the date of the next general election . ' The The second proposal is to make MPs retain their position for this additional three-month period but In making these two proposals, Hichilema has three objectives. The primary objective is to entice all MPs to support the passage of Bill 7 by dangling a carrot in front of them. If there is anything that Hichilema learnt from his predecessor's This lesson explains why Hichilema could not embark on these constitutional changes Hijack and take control of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) by Delay the resolution of the resultant PF leadership wrangles using Induce vacancies in several constituencies by using the police to arrest incumbent MPs on what appears to be Prevent the main opposition party from sponsoring candidates in the ensuing parliamentary by-elections either by Use incumbency advantage and Combined, these legal manoeuvres have enabled the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) to easily secure This abbreviated history of Hichilema's political schemes provides the clearest evidence that the president knew earlier that he would take self-serving and personally-driven amendments to the Constitution to parliament, rather than implementing his party's 2021 manifesto that Hichilema's hope is that the UPND will win the forthcoming by-elections before Bill 7 is tabled in parliament to reduce by one or two the number of MPs whom the ruling party might need to bribe to pass the dire constitutional changes. In the meantime, however, the president is offering a more transparent form of bribery that he hopes will appeal to all MPs — a The second objective is to enable MPs to campaign for their own re-election using public resources. Campaign finance is ordinarily difficult to raise in Zambia, making attractive any interventions that would help deflate Moreover, MPs receive constant requests for financial support from their constituents and are required to make monthly financial contributions to their political parties for by-election and day-to-day operational expenses. Allowing them to draw salaries for three months, The third objective is enabling MPs to campaign for Hichilema using public funds drawn from the free salaries and the consequent increase in their pensions . Currently, lawmakers receive about 3 million kwacha (the equivalent of $110 000) as payment for Altogether, the proposed changes would encourage electoral fraud, corruption and unfair practices during campaigns and gravely Furthermore, the proposals are likely to work to the advantage of the UPND because candidates belonging to parties in government generally find it much easier to attract external financing or resources from Sishuwa Sishuwa is a senior lecturer in the department of history at Stellenbosch University.
