Google has announced that it will stop serving political ads in the European Union starting in October 2025 due to challenges posed by the EU’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulation. The company cited significant operational difficulties and legal uncertainties related to the implementation of the regulation, which it said defines political advertising too broadly. According to Google, the broad scope of the regulation could cover a wide range of issues, making it challenging to reliably identify political ads at scale.
The TTPA, which will come into effect in the fall of 2025, aims to improve transparency around political advertising. It requires that political ads display clear labels, outlining key details such as the sponsor, the election or referendum, the amounts paid for the ads, and any targeting techniques used. The regulation also mandates explicit consent from users for their data to be collected and used for political ads, with special categories of personal data, such as political opinions, being prohibited for profiling purposes.
Google’s decision to cease political advertising on its platforms, including YouTube, comes as the company struggles to comply with these complex requirements. The regulation also bans political ads from foreign sponsors within three months of an election or referendum, further complicating matters for Google. The company has faced similar challenges in other countries, including France, Canada, and Brazil, where it has had to exit the political ad market due to difficulties in meeting regulatory demands.
Despite the challenges, Google emphasized that political ads play a valuable role in providing voters with information and giving candidates a platform to share their messages. However, the company has made it clear that it cannot comply with the TTPA’s requirements in time for the regulation’s implementation. Google will continue to monitor the situation and provide further updates on the timing of the policy change as it moves toward the 2025 deadline.
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