Meta to ban political ads in EU after bloc’s “unworkable” rules derail
Meta Pulls Political Ads from EU Platforms
Key Business Impact
- Meta will stop political, electoral & social issue ads on Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp from October 2025.
- Decision stems from the new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) rule.
- Change is considered “unworkable” due to “significant complexity & legal uncertainty” for advertisers.
EU Legal Context
The TTPA rule follows the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, aiming to increase transparency in online political advertising.
Meta’s Broader EU Challenges
- Meta has faced a 200-million-euro fine for data misuse in April.
- Platform is under investigation for the Digital Services Act (DSA), a hefty EU content‑moderation law.
- Meta’s announcement occurs amid US criticism of the DSA, labeling it a “foreign censorship threat.”
US Political Opposition
The US State Department has branded the EU rules as “Orwellian” and the House Judiciary Committee has called the DSA a “foreign censorship threat.”
Future Outlook
Meta claims EU users will still be able to discuss politics on social media, even as ad features are removed.
