Meta joins Google in ragequitting EU political ads over onerous regulations
- Reference: 1753457295
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/07/25/meta_eu_political_ads/
- Source link:
Zuckercorp said in a [1]statement Friday that the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) [2]regulation , due to go into effect this October, would impose excessive obligations and legal uncertainty on EU advertisers using its platform. As such, complying with the measure would overly restrict advertisers, and users would see less relevant ads, too.
The TTPA governs targeted political, electoral, and social advertising in the European Union. It places a number of [3]restrictions on that speech, requiring advertisers to identify key information, like who is advertising, in regard to what referendum, how much was paid, and what targeting techniques were used. Additionally, explicit consent to target the ads has to be granted by potential viewers, likely limiting the reach of such ads. It was passed in March 2024.
[4]
Meta argues that the TTPA has put it in a lose-lose situation with regard to advertising in the EU. Either the company adapts its policies "to offer an advertising product which doesn't work for our advertisers or users, without guarantee that our solution would be viewed as compliant, or stop allowing political, electoral, and social issue ads in the EU."
[5]
[6]
It's chosen the latter, and blames the EU for it. "Once again, we're seeing regulatory obligations effectively remove popular products and services from the market, reducing choice and competition," Meta said in its statement.
[7]Meta calls €200M EU fine over pay-or-consent ad model 'unlawful'
[8]EU may target US tech giants in tariff response
[9]Microsoft admits it 'cannot guarantee' data sovereignty
[10]EU businesses want a pause on AI regulations so they can cope with unregulated Big Tech players
Organic posts on its platforms will still be allowed, Meta made sure to mention in its statement. "[The TTPA] won't prevent people in the EU from continuing to debate politics on our services, or stop politicians, candidates and political office holders from producing and sharing political content organically," Meta said. "They just won't be able to amplify this through paid advertising."
Meta's reasoning for banning political, electoral, and social issue ads mirrors Google's when it decided to do the same thing in November. According to [11]Google's explanation at the time, "new operational challenges and legal uncertainties for political advertisers and platforms" under the TTPA were too tough to bother complying with.
Like Meta, Google blamed the EU for its decision, too.
[12]
"Throughout the legislative process, we shared concerns about the potential impact of the TTPA and the challenges posed by some of its requirements, but the regulation ultimately failed to provide the necessary clarity and specificity that would have permitted us to comply with its requirements," Google said last year.
The European Commission didn't respond to questions before publication, and Meta declined to add anything outside of what was in this morning's statement. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://about.fb.com/news/2025/07/ending-political-electoral-and-social-issue-advertising-in-the-eu/
[2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/900/oj
[3] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/03/11/eu-introduces-new-rules-on-transparency-and-targeting-of-political-advertising/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aIZNKzSDfC_4SyVw9YTdVAAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aIZNKzSDfC_4SyVw9YTdVAAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aIZNKzSDfC_4SyVw9YTdVAAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/03/meta_ec_dma_sulk/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/07/eu_to_target_us_tech/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/25/microsoft_admits_it_cannot_guarantee/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/04/eu_businesses_push_for_freedom/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/15/google_stops_eu_political_ads/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aIZNKzSDfC_4SyVw9YTdVAAAAEQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Oh no!
Now we just need ALL advertising on these platforms to be subject to the same restrictions, and said platforms might start to become usable again...
Re: Oh no!
It would be nice if the US would implement similar legislation.
The squadron of pigs that just flew over my office is in total agreement.
Re: Oh no!
>>It would be nice if the US would implement similar legislation.
>The squadron of pigs that just flew over my office is in total agreement.
Porkdome ?
Yes kudos to the EU
For figuring out how to get Google and Facebook to willingly stop carrying political ads. Now do the same for TV and cellular and I might have to move to Europe for the peace and quiet!
Re: Yes kudos to the EU
The UK and EU are considerably more civilised than the US.
Especially when it comes to political ads on TV and phones, I've *never* received a phone call from a candidate or party and TV political ads are few n far between
Re: Yes kudos to the EU
Trump Lite, aka Farage is attempting to follow Trumps playbook, recycling MAGA ideas. So don't be surprised when The National Front Reform start trying the advertising tactics the US employs, pushing (and possibly crossing) the bounds of, decency, good taste, accepted practices and the law. I'm sure they'll cross the bounds set by the ASA because they will have noticed that crossing the line only results in a slap on the wrist and "don't do that again" result, by which time the offending advert has already done it's job and isn't needed again anyway.
Re: Yes kudos to the EU
They already worked that out with Cambridge Analytica when they mislead the country over Brexit, they broke financing laws and more as well.
But, the traditional media and broadcasters have a vested interest in not letting them get away with that shit, so the Meta/Google decision is a good tesilt
Re: Oh no!
It is a good idea, but it I do not think many countries allow the heavy political advertising the US does. The UK does not allow broadcast advertising (parties get allocated a number of free slots each) and there are caps on total advertising spend during elections. I would guess enough EU countries had similar rules to make it seem natural, rather than a major change to the status quo.
What's the point of being a billionaire if you can't buy a few politicians/governments/countries!
The US Is Starting To Realize
They need the EU more than the EU needs them.
The US has lived in a fantasy la-la land for too long. Reality is a b*tch.
Re: The US Is Starting To Realize
No problem. When the Eastern Invaders come calling this time, don't call us. You know, since you don't need us.
Re: The US Is Starting To Realize
You only rocked up the last times when you'd worked out which side could make you the most profit and you're doing it again now with Ukraine, you're a bunch of mercenary profiteers and only tolerated, not liked.
Re: The US Is Starting To Realize
If we did call you, you'd turn up 3 years late as always.
Now that has worked ....
.... can we have further laws that place similar burdens on other forms of advertising on Meta, Google, et al.
I see this as the only way that we can finally persuade them that we don't want them spying on every aspect of our lives just so they can feed their advertising machines.
...likely limiting the reach of such ads...
I'm trying hard to see a downside here.
>>"we're seeing regulatory obligations effectively remove popular products and services from the market"
On which planet do they live where service users clamour for political adverts?
Re: ...likely limiting the reach of such ads...
Planet Tech Douche Bro.
Re: ...likely limiting the reach of such ads...
The downside is that it does nothing to restrict bot and troll farms run by suitably motivated parties, like the infamous Internet Research Agency.
On the plus side, though, the IRA used small scale paid ads to gather hard diagnostic data on which types of messages were most effective, so even they would still be impaired a little.
Re: ...likely limiting the reach of such ads...
Planet Political Consultant.
Re: ...likely limiting the reach of such ads...
Ferenginar , probably.
Re: ...likely limiting the reach of such ads...
The products and services are popular with the people who advertise with Google and Meta
And nothing of value...
...was lost.
Re: And nothing of value...
Something of value was gained... faecesbook no longer interfering in politics, hedging their bets, and gaslighting people with false information and propaganda.
Zuckerberg is a despicable piece of shit. Look how he switched gears as soon as it looked like Trump was coming back.
Re: And nothing of value...
If they want to interfere in politics or influence elections they don't need to carry ads, just tweak the firehose of bullshit that is their algorithm.
Meltdow
Just the usual meltdown of US tech billionaires; like kids having a hissy fit when they find that they don't always get their own way. Get over it.
What a f**king shame
Every day, Idiocracy becomes more of a reality.
"users would see less relevant ads"
I tried allowing tracking, monitoring etc., on an old pc for a while. I saw precisely zero ads gat were in any way relevant to me. It was all for stuff I'd already bought, so need no more, stuff I'd already looked at and decided not to bother with, so no interest there. I saw ads for stuff a bit like what I'd looked at, as if that was something I'd give a rats arse about. I saw what was "trending" but for the life of me I couldn't work out why I should be even remotely interested.
Tracking is still off on any "real" platform I use.
Dear marketing execs. Just fuck off.
"It was all for stuff I'd already bought"
About six weeks after I purchased a corded electric lawn mower online, the vendor emailed to offer me the "opportunity" of buying another - as though anyone would need more than one for a ~50 m 2 lawn; or did they think the product was so crappy that it didn't last 6 weeks *and* I would be daft enough to replace it with same crappy model ?
" Dear marketing execs. Just fuck off. " Concur completely.
FWIW: I had to buy online as only the battery models were available in bricks and mortar stores. The mower worked as advertised.
--> stop allowing political, electoral, and social issue ads
Where can I get that where I live?
Disconnect from the (comms) grid?
How outrageous - demanding responsible reporting about political donations in the form of "free advertising" for the platforms supported by the billionaires.
Once again, the decision seems to be "We're American; Fuck You!"
I think their arrogance even exceeds the Pumpkin Fuhrer on this item.
"We're American; Fuck You!"
Not that these septics aren't simultaneously furiously engaging in vigorous autofornication.
Fittingly given it's only acceptable that American may slaughter Americans (which they do enthusiastically) that only Americans might comprehensively fuck over other Americans (which they do with even greater enthusiasm, if possible.)
And note especially that they've had years of knowing this was coming and by the time it's in force will have had 18 months of the being able to read the law as enacted. Have they spent any of that time trying to implement processes so they can carry on while staying within the law? Of course not. That's dev money. They'd far rather spend far more of it lobbying to get the law overturned than, you know, complying with. Now they finally realised that's not happening, they're spitting their collective dummies instead of accepting reality.
Remember..
....they said the same shit about GDPR. Threats to pull out of the EU, and how they couldn't possibly carry on.
Yeah.
> Once again, we're seeing regulatory obligations effectively remove popular products and services from the market, reducing choice and competition
Who are political ads popular with.Tech billionaires and politicians?
Who else does Zuck socialise with these days? All his friends are telling him what a terrible mistake the EU's making here.
Suffer in ya jocks!
The tech bros can go and get ….
Re: Suffer in ya jocks!
Perhaps if they get occasionally they'd not be such arseholes
Oh no!
Anyway . . .
Beer for the EU. It would be nice if the US would implement similar legislation.