Kristina Roberts
Meta, the big US tech company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it will stop showing political, election-related, and social issue advertisements in the European Union starting from early October 2025. This decision was shared in a blog post and has surprised many people. The reason Meta gave for this move is that the new rules set by the European Union have created legal confusion and made it very hard for them to continue these types of ads.
Meta’s announcement comes after another major tech company, Google (owned by Alphabet), made a similar decision last year in November. Both companies seem to be stepping back from the EU’s strict new rules, which are designed to control how political advertisements work online. These new rules are part of a law called the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation, also known as TTPA. It is meant to protect voters and make sure that political ads are honest and clearly labeled. This new law will officially start from October 10, 2025, and will apply to all 27 countries that are part of the European Union.
Under this law, tech companies like Meta and Google must clearly show who paid for the political ad, how much they paid, and what election the ad is about. If they don’t follow these rules, they could be fined up to 6% of their total yearly income, which for companies like Meta could mean billions of dollars. The EU created this law because there were worries about fake news and foreign interference in past elections. Leaders want to protect voters from being misled, especially during important votes.
In their official blog post, Meta said, “From early October 2025, we will no longer allow political, electoral and social issue ads on our platforms in the EU.” The company explained that this choice was not easy, but they had to make it because the EU’s new rules are too difficult to manage. They said the rules come with “significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties.”
Meta also warned that these new rules might actually hurt the people of Europe instead of helping them. They explained that personalized ads are very important for many groups, especially those trying to raise awareness about social issues or inform voters. Meta said, “We believe that personalised ads are critical to a wide range of advertisers, including those engaged on campaigns to inform voters about important social issues that shape public discourse.”
They also added that, “Regulations, like the TTPA, significantly undermine our ability to offer these services, not only impacting effectiveness of advertisers’ outreach but also the ability of voters to access comprehensive information.” In simpler words, Meta believes that these strict rules might make it harder for voters to learn everything they need to know before an election. Instead of helping, the law might keep people in the dark.
Right now, Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are already being investigated by the European Commission. The EU is checking if Meta has done enough to stop fake news and tricky ads before the 2024 European Parliament elections. This investigation is happening under another rule called the Digital Services Act. This law tells big online platforms they must remove harmful or illegal content, or else they will face big fines—again, up to 6% of their yearly worldwide earnings.
Meta isn’t the only company being watched. TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is also being looked at. The EU thinks TikTok may not have done enough to prevent foreign groups from trying to interfere with the Romanian presidential election last November. The EU wants all social media platforms to be extra careful during elections so that the results reflect what the people really want, not what they are tricked into believing by fake posts or foreign influencers.
Even though the EU’s rules are meant to protect democracy, big US tech companies feel the rules are too tough. They say it’s hard to follow all the new steps, and the risk of huge fines is scary. But the EU believes that rules are needed to stop the spread of lies and to make sure everyone knows who is trying to influence their vote.
This situation shows a growing struggle between the European Union and large US tech companies. On one hand, the EU wants to make things safer and clearer for voters. On the other hand, companies like Meta are finding it difficult to meet all the requirements and are choosing to step away instead.
This move from Meta might have a big impact on the way people in Europe learn about politics online. Without political ads on Facebook and Instagram, some small political groups might find it harder to reach people. At the same time, many believe this will reduce the spread of fake news and foreign influence.
Now, people are wondering—will other tech platforms do the same? Will X (formerly Twitter) or YouTube also stop political ads in the EU? And what will happen during future elections without these online campaigns?
It’s clear that this is just the beginning of many more changes. As more elections come up and technology grows, the fight between keeping people safe and giving them freedom online will keep going. For now, Meta has made its choice. And everyone—politicians, voters, and tech companies—will be watching closely to see what happens next.
