Canada's wildfires could continue into fall, says government
Canada is facing its second-worst wildfire season on record, with 7.8 million hectares already burned, and the fires could persist for weeks, accordin...
Meta Platforms said it will suspend all political, electoral, and social issue advertising across the European Union starting in October, citing "unworkable requirements" under the bloc’s new transparency rules.
The EU’s Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation (TTPA), which aims to combat foreign interference and disinformation, officially entered into force in April 2024, with most provisions taking effect on Oct. 10.
In a statement, Meta — which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads — said the legislation “introduces significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties” and would pose “an untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU.”
Under the new rules, political advertisements must include a transparency label disclosing key information, such as the sponsor, links to elections, the amount spent, and the targeting techniques used.
Meta noted that it has enforced political ad transparency measures since 2018, including requiring advertisers to undergo an authorisation process and storing political ads in a public archive. However, it said the new rules go too far.
“Because of the restrictions,” Meta added, “people will be seeing less relevant ads on our platforms.”
The company clarified that political figures and users in the EU will still be allowed to post and debate political topics on its platforms.
Google had already announced a similar move in November 2023, also opting to ban political ads across the EU in response to the TTPA.
The changes apply only to Europe.
The European Commission has launched several initiatives to counter foreign interference, including investigations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires platforms to address illegal content and disinformation.
In April, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms became subject to formal DSA proceedings over suspected violations related to deceptive advertising and political content. That investigation is ongoing.
Concerns over election interference have mounted in Europe.
On 6 December, Romania became the first EU country to cancel an election due to foreign interference, following reports of disinformation campaigns on TikTok.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Honduras has brought back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and a new variant surge nationwide.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he expected Russian President Vladimir Putin to release more than 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners soon, after a trilateral meeting was set up with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Canada is facing its second-worst wildfire season on record, with 7.8 million hectares already burned, and the fires could persist for weeks, according to federal officials.
A research team led by Tsinghua University has unveiled a groundbreaking method for making organs transparent, offering the most detailed view yet of the brain’s inner workings.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in New Delhi today for a closely watched round of bilateral discussions with senior Indian leaders, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
In Bolivia's first-round presidential election, voters decisively rejected the leftist party that has ruled the country for most of the past two decades, signaling a shift toward more market-friendly policies to address the nation's economic struggles.
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