Meta to stop political and social issue ads in EU from October 2025

Meta has announced that starting October 2025, it will no longer allow political, electoral, or social issue ads on its platforms within the European Union. The decision comes in response to the EU’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation, which Meta says introduces “significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties.”

The move marks a major shift in how political communication will play out across Meta’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, during future EU elections and campaigns. While political content will still be allowed organically, paid promotion of such content will be halted across all EU member states.

Why is Meta pulling the plug?

Meta argues that the TTPA’s new obligations create an "untenable level of complexity" for platforms and advertisers. In particular, the regulation places extensive restrictions on ad targeting and delivery, which Meta says undermines the effectiveness of political and issue-based advertising.

The company claims that its existing political ad transparency system, launched in 2018, already goes beyond legal requirements. This includes tools like the Ad Library, where users can view details of political ads, including who paid for them, how they were targeted, and what was spent.

Despite Meta’s efforts to engage with EU policymakers, the company says it was left with “an impossible choice”: either overhaul its services with no legal clarity or halt political ads altogether.

Meta’s withdrawal from EU political ads could have wide-reaching consequences. The company warned that the regulation not only affects advertisers’ ability to connect with voters but also limits citizens’ access to critical information.

“This is yet another threat to the principles of personalised advertising,” the company said in a statement, arguing that the TTPA fails to account for the benefits such ads offer to both users and advertisers.

What changes for EU users?

• No more paid political, electoral, or social issue ads from October 2025.
  
  

• Organic political content will still be allowed.
  
  

• Politicians and parties can continue to use Meta platforms, but without the ability to amplify their message through paid promotions.

Meta clarified that the decision is limited to the EU. In other regions, including the US, its political ad services will continue to operate with their current transparency and targeting tools.