Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday that it will stop all political advertising in the European Union starting October 2025. The decision comes in response to the EU’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which imposes stricter requirements on political advertising across digital platforms.
The TTPA, set to enter into force on 10 October 2025, mandates that platforms clearly label political ads, disclose who paid for them, and link them to a specific election, referendum, or legislative process. Furthermore, such ads must be stored in a public database and can only be targeted under narrowly defined conditions.
Meta cites complexity and legal uncertainty
In a statement, Meta said the TTPA introduces “significant additional obligations for our processes and systems,” resulting in “an unsustainable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU.”
By halting political ads, Meta aims to avoid regulatory risk ahead of 2024–2025 electoral cycles, including the European Parliament elections and several national votes. Political content will still be allowed, but paid promotion of such content will no longer be possible.
Google to follow the same path
Meta is not the only tech giant reacting to the EU’s tightening regulation. Google has also announced it will suspend political advertising in the EU starting in October, citing similar compliance challenges.
The regulation is part of the EU’s broader effort to increase transparency and accountability in digital campaigning, especially in light of past scandals like Cambridge Analytica, where the misuse of personal data for political targeting raised widespread concerns.
Implications for digital democracy in Europe
The decision raises questions about how political actors will reach voters online in future EU campaigns. While the TTPA aims to safeguard democratic processes, critics warn that blanket bans by tech platforms may limit pluralistic political communication, especially for smaller parties or grassroots campaigns that rely on affordable digital outreach.
Observers will be watching closely how the implementation of the TTPA affects the balance between transparency, free expression, and access to information in Europe’s evolving digital public sphere.
This development also prompts a broader reflection on Europe’s digital sovereignty. As access to political communication increasingly depends on decisions made by private companies headquartered outside the EU, it becomes urgent to consider how European societies can ensure democratic resilience without relying so heavily on U.S.-based platforms.
