The democracy paradox: Why no political ads may empower illiberals

The EU's new political advertising regulations, which come into force in October 2025, resulted in Meta and Google platforms choosing to discontinue political and social advertising throughout Europe. 

Although the EU’s Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) was designed to ensure a fairer and more transparent media and advertising environment, it may give an unexpected advantage to illiberal regimes that control traditional media, state resources, and organisations disguised as civil society groups.

The Hungarian example

For example, in Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party, Fidesz, exercises significant control over the regional press, reinforces its own narratives through political networks disguised as civil society organisations, and has an extensive media empire. 

The upcoming absence of paid online advertising is not a disadvantage but rather an opportunity for the Fidesz party: it restricts one of the opposition’s main avenues of action while allowing the government’s narratives to spread unchecked, amplify their messaging, and, through proxies, dominate social media platforms.

The upcoming 2026 Hungarian elections could be a severe test of this dilemma. While the paid political advertising discontinuation theoretically applies to all political actors, it puts the opposition (which relies on independent social media platforms more than anyone else) in a more difficult position.

Fidesz will mobilise its organisations disguised as civil society groups with an organic following and its extensive network of newspapers, which may find loopholes to evade the ban. These channels can easily influence public opinion in rural areas, spreading content disguised as organic on social media and continuously reinforcing the government's narrative.

Unintended consequences

In conclusion, paid political advertising changes in the EU can create conditions in which political competition becomes distorted rather than balanced, giving authoritarian regimes a blank check to strengthen their narratives further.

This article originally appeared in EU Tech Loop and has been published on Euronews as part of an agreement.