Meta, the US tech giant behind Facebook, Instagram and Threads, will stop showing political ads across the EU from 10 October.
The decision follows new EU transparency rules for political advertising, aimed at tackling foreign interference and disinformation ahead of future elections.
The rules, known as the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation (TTPA), require political ads to clearly state who paid for them, how much was spent, and how the audience was targeted.
Though the law came into force in April 2024, it becomes fully applicable this October – just weeks before key European national votes.
Meta said the regulation brings “significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties”, calling the rules “unworkable” in their current form.
The company added that while people can still post political content, paid political adverts will be removed across all its platforms in the EU.
Meta argued that it already had transparency tools in place since 2018, including an ad library and authorisation process for political advertisers.
However, the new requirements introduce a level of “complexity” that Meta claims makes it impossible to continue without legal risk.
This move comes after Google also announced a ban on political ads in the EU last November, citing similar concerns.
The European Commission has launched several investigations into foreign interference, including formal proceedings against Meta’s Facebook and Instagram in April.
In one high-profile case, Romania cancelled an election last December due to foreign manipulation on TikTok.
These developments mark a turning point in how digital platforms and lawmakers address online political influence across Europe.
