Recent restrictions imposed by technology giants on the communications of social and political actors

Priority question for written answer P-004182/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Eero Heinäluoma (S&D)

Technology giants Meta, Google and Microsoft have significantly tightened the conditions governing advertising by political and social actors on their platforms in the past month. They have blocked political advertising entirely, and henceforward there will be stringent restrictions on the promotion of important social issues. It is particularly worrying that these restrictions are a protest on the part of the digital giants against EU roles intended to encourage transparency and fairness in political advertising.

Social media platforms especially are key communication channels for social actors. Given these recent restrictions, citizens will find it harder to access information about different actors and organisations and political views, which will weaken democracy and civil society capacity.

We therefore ask the Commission how it intends:

• 1.to respond to the recent restrictions imposed by the technology giants and ensure that the effective communication and advertising of important social questions and different political views are once again possible on socially important platforms;
• 2.in the wider context, to address the actions of the technology giants, which weaken democracy.

Submitted: 23.10.2025