Meta says it will end political ads in EU

Meta on Friday said that it would end political advertisements on its platform in European Union countries, the latest turn in the battle over regulation of its activities.

- ISABELLA KWAI

Beginning in October, the company will stop ads related to political, electoral or social issues, it said in a release, citing a forthcoming EU regulation around the transparency of political advertising.

Meta’s decision to pull political advertising was the latest example of tensions between big tech companies and European lawmakers, who have pushed for more aggressive oversight. The companies have especially faced scrutiny of their approaches to political advertising and speech.

EU regulators have levied hefty fines on Meta for breaching other rules, including a $230 million antitrust penalty in April and $1.3 billion in 2023 over its handling of user data.