Meta announced that it will stop running political ads across its platforms in the European Union from October. The decision came after the EU introduced a new law called the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation. According to Meta, the new rules are “unworkable.”

Company Faces Operational and Legal Issues

Meta explained that the TTPA creates both legal confusion and operational difficulties. As a result, the company decided it can no longer run political ads under these conditions.

Meta stated, “These obligations impose an unsustainable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for both advertisers and platform operators within the EU.”

Meta Warns of Negative Effects

Furthermore, Meta believes the rules will hurt both advertisers and users. The company said that political ads are an important tool for informing voters about key social topics.

As Meta noted, “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.”

Moreover, the company said the law could block access to useful information. “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,” it added.

EU Introduced Law to Fight Misinformation

The EU introduced the TTPA regulation to reduce foreign interference and disinformation in elections across its 27 member countries. The law will come into force on October 10.

Under this law, tech companies must label political ads clearly. They must show who paid for them, how much they paid, and which elections the ads target. Otherwise, companies could face fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue.

Meta Calls It a Tough but Necessary Decision

Finally, Meta said it made this decision with careful thought. It explained that the TTPA leaves too many unanswered legal questions.

Meta stated, “This is a difficult decision – one we’ve taken in response to the EU’s incoming Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which introduces significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties.”