Meta Ends Political Advertising Across EU Over New Transparency Rules

Meta announced it will stop selling political advertising in the European Union starting in October, citing the EU's new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation as unworkable due to excessive legal uncertainties and operational challenges. The regulation requires political ads to disclose detailed information about sponsors, election relevance, costs, and targeting methods, while restricting the use of personal data for profiling. Meta argued that complying with these rules would either force it to offer an ineffective advertising product or cease political ads entirely, choosing the latter and criticizing the EU for reducing choice and competition in the market. This move follows Google's similar decision last year to halt political advertising in the EU over comparable concerns. Despite the ban on political ads, Meta emphasized that organic political content and discussions will still be allowed on its platforms. The decision reflects growing tensions between US tech giants and European regulators, with Meta taking a more confrontational stance under the current US administration.