Meta—the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—has announced that it will halt all political advertising in the European Union by October, blaming what it called “unworkable” requirements imposed by the bloc’s new rules on online campaigning.
The move, announced on July 25, comes ahead of the EU’s Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which imposes strict limits on how platforms and advertisers can target voters. The law, which is set to take effect in time for several national elections and the 2026 European Parliament race, requires clear labeling and public archiving of political ads, and bans foreign-funded campaigns in the run-up to votes.
