Tech Giants Cease Displaying Political Ads in EU Following New Law
TL/DR –
The EU’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising law imposes stricter regulations and transparency standards for paid political ads. Google, Meta, and Microsoft have responded by halting all political ads in the EU. Critics argue that the law disadvantages smaller political entities and newcomers by eliminating a cost-effective way to reach voters.
New EU Law Limits Political Advertising, Tech Giants React
The Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising law enforced recently, imposes new restrictions and demands transparency for paid political ads. Google, Meta, and Microsoft have ceased displaying political ads in the EU in response.
Liberal Slovak EU lawmaker Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová expressed concerns that this could disadvantage smaller parties and independent candidates, while having minimal impact on larger, well-established accounts.
She argued that by banning political advertising, these platforms are choosing the simpler solution, a move she sees as a disturbing refusal to negotiate with regulators.
The law mandates platforms to disclose information on what election, referendum, or legislative process the ad is associated with, how much it cost, and details on any targeting techniques employed.
Google protested the all-encompassing definition of political advertising, while Meta disapproved of the ad targeting restrictions, criticizing their disregard for the benefits offered by personalized ads.
European Parliament member Piotr Müller echoed similar concerns, asserting that the new rules epitomize over-regulation that will favor larger parties, thus compromising pluralism and public debate freedom.
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