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The
social media giant said in a blog post that it will no longer
allow ads for political, electoral and social issues on its
platforms, which also include Threads, starting in early
October.
The company said it was making the decision because of the
27-nation EU's “unworkable” Transparency and Targeting of
Political Advertising regulations.
The rules introduce “significant operational challenges and
legal uncertainties," Meta said.
It's not the first Big Tech company to make such a move. Google
said last year that it would stop serving EU users political ads
before the rules take effect, in an announcement that cited
similar reasons.
Under the regulations, which are set to take effect on Oct. 10,
platforms will have to label political ads, disclosing who paid
for them, and what campaign, referendum or legislative process
they're connected to. Ads will have to be preserved in a
database, and they can only be targeted to users under strict
conditions.
The rules introduce “significant, additional obligations to our
processes and systems that create an untenable level of
complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms
operating in the EU,” Meta said.
Violations can be hit with fines worth up to 6% of a company's
annual global revenue.
The rules are part of Brussels' wider efforts to counter foreign
influence and manipulation in elections, and dovetail with the
bloc's other regulations designed to protect citizens' privacy
and hold platforms more accountable for internet users' online
safety. But those moves clash with President Donald Trump's
administration, which has lashed out at the EU's digital
rulemaking.
Meta said its decision won't affect users who want to debate
politics on its platforms or prevent politicians, candidates and
officer holders from "sharing political content organically."
“They just won’t be able to amplify this through paid
advertising,” it said.
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