Analysis
Meta broke EU law running ads for IDF
In the era of Trumpism and the alignment between Silicon Valley and the White House, the US digital giants are feeling under attack from the European regulatory system.
Meta, the American social media giant, ran more than 100 ads on its platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) for fundraising campaigns for the IDF, in violation of both its own code of conduct and European regulations. This is according to an investigation by Eko, an international consumer protection organization, which documented numerous online initiatives that raised at least $2.4 million for the Israeli armed forces.
The campaigns were promoted by organizations such as Vaad Hatzedaka and Chesed Fund, which are based in the US and linked to the pro-Netanyahu part of the Jewish community. Eko pointed out that in Europe, such initiatives are at high risk of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA), a regulation introduced by Brussels in 2024 and which has never sat well with the digital giants. The DSA mandates that platforms must be transparent about sensitive advertising content, such as political or military-related content, especially when it is passed off as charitable initiatives, as in this case.
On Friday, Meta made its own move against Brussels, announcing that from October it would no longer allow the publication of any political, electoral or social-issue-related ads on its platforms within European borders.
This decision can be seen as a countermove in response to the new regulation on political advertising transparency, TTPA, approved more than a year ago and set to come into full effect on October 10. The purpose of the TTPA is to make political or electoral advertising content transparent through a label which clearly specifies the source of funding and the techniques used to target users.
Brussels says it wants to use these rules to combat external influences and disinformation. Traditionally, Russian influence is the most feared, followed to a lesser extent by Chinese influence. Yet, in the era of Trumpism and the alignment between Silicon Valley and the White House, it is the US digital giants that are feeling under attack from the European regulatory system. Furthermore, there is also the threat of a European digital tax looming in the event of no deal on tariffs.
“Meta's attitude is not new and seems like a move to exert pressure on the enforcement of EU laws,” commented MEP Brando Benifei (PD/S&D), co-rapporteur of the EU law on Artificial Intelligence, to il manifesto. “As with other Big Tech companies, we must engage in dialogue. But without letting them dictate the rules.”
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/annunci-per-idf-cosi-meta-violava-le-regole-europee on 2025-07-26