The new Rules were adopted back in April 2024 and are mainly aimed at countering manipulation of information and foreign interference in elections. Most of the restrictive provisions come into force on October 10, but most publishers and media platforms say it is impossible to comply.
As clarifies Euronews, the new rules require political ads to be labeled and clearly state key information such as sponsors, the elections they are linked to, the amounts paid and targeting methods.
In a related development, some online platforms have already said the new rules, which come into effect in October, are unworkable. For example, it is unclear whether videos on environmental topics will be considered “influencing political processes.” Even talk shows, discussion and analytical articles criticizing certain decisions may be called into question.
Broadcasters and advertising agencies are waiting for more clarity on what exactly is covered by the new EU rules on political advertising. The European Commission was supposed to provide guidance on implementing the rules and defining what constitutes political advertising, but has yet to do so.
In this situation, some broadcasters and publishers are ready to completely abandon political advertising, while others are demanding a revision of the rules and more clarity on the requirements they contain. Technology giants Meta and Google have already said they will stop all advertising about politics, elections and social polls on their EU platforms as soon as the new rules come into force. In July, Meta argued that the legislation “creates significant operational challenges and legal uncertainty” (quoted by Euronews), making the new requirements simply impossible to comply with.
The Publishers Council, which brings together the heads of Europe’s leading media organizations operating in news media, television, radio and digital markets, is concerned that the new law is difficult to enforce.
“Not only will publishers not only lack the technical means to comply with the rules, they will also lack the technical means to opt out of political advertising if it is served via programmatic advertising, exposing publishers to unacceptable risk,” the Council said in its feedback.
The European Advertisers Standards Alliance expressed concern about the interpretation of political advertising and the difficulty of verifying the subjects of its application.
“A broad definition of political subjects […] may prove difficult to implement. We believe that there is currently no reliable source of information against which a service provider could verify the political status of a customer or user to confirm whether they could be considered a political actor,” said EASA.
