Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has announced the halt of political ad sales and displays in the European Union (EU) from October onwards. This decision comes as a result of the upcoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) legislation in the EU.
The TTPA introduces extensive transparency requirements for political ads, including clear labeling, sponsor disclosure, and consent for data usage. Meta has expressed concerns over the law’s complexity and its impact on personalized advertising.
The company emphasized that the TTPA’s rules pose a threat to the principles of personalized advertising, limiting ad targeting and delivery for political and social issue advertisers. As a consequence, users may see less relevant ads on Meta’s platforms.
Despite engaging with policymakers extensively, Meta faced a difficult choice: either adjust its services to comply with the law, risking non-compliance, or cease political, electoral, and social issue ads altogether in the EU.
The TTPA, adopted in 2024, mandates clear labeling of political ads, sponsor disclosure, election or referendum information, ad cost, and targeting mechanisms. Data collected for political ads can only be used with explicit consent and is prohibited from utilizing sensitive personal information for profiling.
Google has also announced its decision to stop selling political ads in the EU by October, citing significant operational challenges and legal uncertainty caused by the legislation.
