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Meta will stop political advertisements in the EU, denouncing the “impracticable” rules of Brussels

The American group which has the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, will no longer allow this type of ad from October.

The American group Meta, which notably owns Facebook and Instagram, announced this Friday, July 25 that it “Would no longer allow political advertisements” on its platforms from October in the European Union, questioning the rules “Impracticables” from Brussels.

“This is a difficult decision”more goal “No longer will allow political, electoral advertisements and on social issues on its platforms in the European Union, due to impassable requirements” A European regulation dedicated to the transparency of political advertising, said the company of Mark Zuckerberg in a press release. Meta, who regularly criticizes European legislation, points out the “Important operational challenges” et “Legal uncertainty” rules on political advertising.

Pass advertising

Prevent foreign interference

Adopted in 2024 with full entry into force in October 2025, this European regulation aims to guarantee greater transparency of advertisements and to protect themselves from foreign interference as the elections approach. Legislation requires platforms in particular to clearly report political advertisements and to indicate by whom they are funded. Profiling from personal data relating to ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, is prohibited, as well as the use of data relating to minors.

The European Union notably took its measures following the Cambridge Analytica scandal which occurred in 2018. This British consulting firm had collected, without authorization and their knowledge, the personal data of tens of millions of Facebook users, then used for political targeting purposes during the 2016 US electoral campaign and the Brexit referendum.

In her press release, Meta stresses that she is not the first company to say that she will give up political advertisements in the EU, since Google did in late 2024. “Our decision only concerns the European Union”, “We continue to think that online political advertising is an essential element of modern policy”assures the American company.

Its Facebook and Instagram platforms have some 261 million and 272 million monthly users in the European Union respectively. The EU has a strengthened legal arsenal to supervise large technological companies, which Meta openly criticizes. The American social networks giant announced in early July to contest a fine of 200 million euros inflicted by the European Commission in April, for an offense of the rules for the use of personal data. Facebook and Instagram are also the subject of several surveys within the framework of European legislation on digital services (DSA).

In a movement of rapprochement with Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg had accused the EU of censorship in January and compared European fines with customs duties.

marley.cruz
marley.cruz
Marley profiles immigrant chefs across Texas, pairing recipes with visa-process explainers.
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