Meta bans political ads in EU over "impracticable" rules
The American tech giant Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, announced it will no longer permit political advertising on its platforms in the European Union starting this October, citing "impracticable" rules from Brussels, AFP reports.
"This was a difficult decision," Meta stated, explaining that it "will no longer permit political, electoral, and social issue advertising on its platforms in the European Union due to the impracticable requirements of a European regulation on political advertising transparency." The statement was released by Mark Zuckerberg's company late last week and cited by Agerpres.
Meta, a frequent critic of European legislation, emphasizes the "significant operational challenges" and "legal uncertainties" posed by the rules on political advertising.
This regulation, adopted in 2024 but entering into force in October 2025, aims to ensure greater transparency in advertisements and prevent foreign interference as elections draw near.
The legislation specifically requires platforms to clearly label political advertisements and disclose their funding sources.
Profiling based on personal data related to ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation is prohibited, as is the use of data of minors.
The European Union implemented these measures following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The British consulting firm collected the personal data of tens of millions of Facebook users without authorization and without their knowledge. This data was then used for targeted electoral advertising during the 2016 American election campaign and the Brexit referendum.
In its statement, Meta highlighted that it is not the first company to cease political advertising in the EU, following Google's similar move in late 2024.
"Our decision applies only to the European Union," the American company assured, adding, "we continue to believe that online political advertising is an essential element of modern politics."
Its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, boast 261 million and 272 million monthly active users in the European Union, respectively.
The EU has developed a consolidated regulatory arsenal to oversee large tech companies, a move Meta has openly criticized.
The American social media giant announced in early July that it is challenging in court a €200 million fine imposed by the European Commission in April for violating personal data usage rules.
Facebook and Instagram are also currently under several investigations as part of the European Digital Services Act (DSA).
Amid a period of rapprochement with Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg accused the EU of censorship in January and compared European fines to customs duties.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
