Meta, Facebook’s parent company, will cease selling and displaying political ads in the European Union (EU) starting October due to the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) legislation. The company expresses concerns about the law’s complexity and its impact on personalized advertising.
The TTPA requires extensive transparency for political ads, including clear labeling, sponsor disclosure, and consent for data usage.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, announced that it will halt political ad sales and displays in the EU effective October. The company cited the upcoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) legislation by the European Union (EU) as the reason for this decision.
Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta stated that the TTPA introduces significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU. The law imposes additional obligations on processes and systems, creating a high level of complexity and legal uncertainty.
Meta has criticized the EU regulations for posing a threat to the principles of personalized advertising. The company highlighted the TTPA’s restrictions on ad targeting and delivery, which will limit how political and social issue advertisers can engage with their audiences, resulting in users seeing less relevant ads on Meta’s platforms.
The European Commission’s adoption of the TTPA in 2024 mandates detailed transparency for political ads. Companies selling such ads must clearly label them, disclose sponsors, election details, ad costs, and targeting mechanisms. Furthermore, the law emphasizes explicit consent for using data collected for political ads and prohibits the use of sensitive personal data for profiling.
Google also decided to stop selling political ads in the EU by October, citing the significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties posed by the legislation.
