Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced Friday that it will stop running political advertisements across the European Union starting in October. The move comes in response to new EU regulations aimed at increasing transparency in election-related advertising, which Meta described as legally uncertain and operationally complex.
In a blog post, Meta said it will no longer allow paid political, electoral, or social issue ads on its platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—starting in early October. The decision is a response to the EU’s new “Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising” rules, which Meta characterized as “unworkable.”
These regulations, set to take effect on October 10, require platforms to clearly label political ads, disclose who funded them, and state what campaign or legislative initiative they’re linked to. Additionally, such ads must be stored in a publicly accessible database and can only be targeted under tightly controlled conditions.
Meta said the new rules impose “significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties,” and would add a level of complexity that’s not manageable for advertisers or platforms within the EU.
The company isn’t alone in taking such action. Google announced last year that it would also stop displaying political ads to EU users ahead of the rules coming into force, citing similar compliance concerns.
Under the EU’s framework, companies found in violation of the new rules could face fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue. These efforts are part of the European Union’s broader initiative to fight election interference, strengthen online safety, and hold tech platforms more accountable—objectives that often contrast with the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration, which has criticized the EU’s aggressive stance on digital regulation.
Despite pulling paid political ads, Meta clarified that users and public figures will still be free to post political content organically. “They just won’t be able to amplify this through paid advertising,” the company explained.
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