Google is announcing a change in its European policies: it will stop serving political ads in the European Union before October 2025, when new regulations on transparency and political advertising (TTPA, for short) come into force.
European Regulation: Implementation Issues
The decision comes as a result of difficulties in implementing the new European regulation, which defines political advertising in an extremely comprehensive way.
Conform Googlethis broad definition makes it almost impossible to correctly and consistently identify what content should be restricted across the 27 EU member states.
Impact on YouTube
The change not only affects Google’s main advertising platform, but also extends to YouTube, where paid political promotions will be banned if they fall within the definition of the TTPA.
Transparency and accountability
Since 2019, the American company has imposed strict transparency requirements for election ads in the EU, including identity verification and explicit disclosure of the source of funding.
Google also introduced restrictions on the targeting of election ads and maintained a transparent report on political advertising.
What the new European regulations mean
The TTPA Regulation aims to prevent any kind of electoral interference and help voters make informed choices.
It requires online political ads to be clearly labeled, specifying who is paying for them, the amount invested and the connection to specific elections or referendums.
In addition, advertising providers must obtain users’ explicit consent for political ads that are targeted at users of digital platforms.
It is not the first withdrawal of this kind
Google has made similar decisions in other areas of the world, such as France and Canada, where local regulations have made it difficult to immediately comply with specific requirements.
Impact on users and democracy
Google recognizes that political ads are a valuable resource for voters and a critical opportunity for candidates to get their messages across.
However, the company wants to provide relevant information through other means, investing in policies, technologies and partnerships aimed at combating misinformation and supporting access to information.
It remains to be seen how this change will influence the digital landscape and how political campaigns will approach communication with the public in the years to come.
Source: www.go4it.ro
