Meta to ban political ads in EU from October: report

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will halt all political, electoral and social issue advertising across the European Union (EU) from early October, according to a recent report by Reuters.

Citing legal uncertainty stemming from new EU regulations, the decision was announced on July 25, marking a significant shift in how one of the world's largest social media platforms will handle politically sensitive content in the region.

According to the report, the move comes ahead of the enforcement of the EU's Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which is set to take effect on October 10. The legislation aims to curb disinformation and reduce foreign influence in democratic processes by mandating stricter labelling of political ads. 

Under the new EU rules, platforms must clearly state who paid for the advertisements, how much was spent, and which elections or regions they are targeting. Companies failing to comply could face fines of up to six percent of their global annual revenue, as per the Reuters report.

The decision also comes at a time when Meta is under investigation by the European Commission for its handling of political content in the lead-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections. The probe, launched under the Digital Services Act, is examining whether Meta has done enough to curb disinformation and misleading advertising. 

Similar scrutiny has been directed at TikTok, particularly concerning alleged election interference in the Romanian presidential vote last year.