This House would ban targeted political advertising online.

civic

The EU restricts cross-context behavioral ads for political content; the U.S. does not. Defenders of restriction cite Cambridge Analytica; opponents cite incumbent protection.

Background

The EU's 2024 Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation requires platforms to allow micro-targeting only on data the user has explicitly consented to share for political purposes; effectively shutting down behavioral ads. Brazil banned political micro-targeting for the 2022 election. US campaigns spent roughly $9 billion on digital ads in 2024 per AdImpact, with the targeting capacity that built the Facebook 2016 controversy still largely intact. A ban would compress political spending toward broadcast and small-donor email, both of which currently favor incumbents.

Government opens with

Micro-targeted ads atomize public discourse into millions of private conversations no one can audit.

Opposition responds with

Restrictions help the candidates with built-in name recognition and hurt outsiders.