Meta to Halt Political Ads in EU Starting October

What’s Happening:

• Meta Platforms (owner of Facebook and Instagram) will stop political, electoral, and social issue ads across the European Union starting early October 2025.
  
• The decision comes ahead of the EU’s new political advertising law going into effect on October 10, 2025.
  

Why It Matters:

• Meta cites “legal uncertainties” and “operational challenges” created by the EU’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation.
  
• The new law:
  
  • Requires clear labeling of political ads.
    
  • Discloses who paid, how much, and what election is being targeted.
    
  • Imposes fines up to 6% of global turnover for violations.
    

Meta’s Viewpoint:

• Meta says the regulation creates an “untenable level of complexity.”
  
• The company argues the law:
  
  • Undermines voter access to information on social issues.
    
  • Reduces ad effectiveness for advocacy groups and campaigns.
    
• Quote: “We believe personalized ads are critical… including those informing voters on social issues,” Meta said.
  

Context & Industry Trend:

• Google also announced a similar pause on political ads in the EU last November, showing broad pushback from Big Tech.
  

The EU’s law is a response to foreign interference, disinformation, and a lack of ad transparency across its 27 member states.