Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance means following all laws, rules, and standards that apply to an organization's activities. In the context of political advertising, it includes meeting transparency requirements, data protection rules, and reporting obligations under EU and national law. Organizations must implement policies and processes to ensure they operate within legal boundaries.

Legal Basis

While regulatory compliance is a broad concept, the EU Regulation on political advertising establishes specific compliance obligations:

"Providers of political advertising services shall ensure that political advertising is labelled clearly and unambiguously as political advertising and shall ensure that the transparency notice referred to in Article 8 is readily and directly available."

— Article 7(1), Regulation (EU) 2024/900

Additionally, the Digital Services Act requires providers to establish internal compliance functions:

"Providers of very large online platforms and of very large online search engines shall establish and maintain an independent compliance function that is adequately resourced."

— Article 41(1), Regulation (EU) 2022/2065

Why It Matters

Regulatory compliance affects every organization involved in political advertising—from political parties and candidates to platforms, agencies, and influencers. When these actors provide or publish political advertisements, they must comply with transparency labeling, disclosure requirements, and restrictions on targeting techniques.

Failure to comply can result in substantial penalties. Under the political advertising regulation, fines can reach up to 5% of annual revenue. National authorities supervise compliance with transparency obligations, while data protection authorities enforce rules on targeting and personal data use.

Compliance also protects democratic processes. Transparent political advertising helps voters make informed decisions and guards against manipulation and foreign interference. Organizations that implement strong compliance programs build trust with the public and avoid legal risks that could damage their reputation.

Key Points

Multi-layered obligations: Compliance covers EU regulations (GDPR, DSA, political advertising regulation), national electoral laws, and media regulations
Shared responsibility: Sponsors, publishers, and service providers each have distinct compliance duties under the political advertising regulation
Proactive approach: Effective compliance requires policies, training, monitoring, and record-keeping before issues arise
Data protection overlap: Using personal data for political ad targeting triggers both GDPR and political advertising regulation requirements
National supervision: Different authorities oversee transparency (media regulators) versus data use (data protection authorities)
Documentation requirement: Organizations must maintain records of political advertisements and transparency information for supervisory review

Regulatory Compliance vs. Voluntary Best Practices

Regulatory compliance refers to legally binding obligations that organizations must meet, with penalties for non-compliance. Voluntary best practices are recommendations that go beyond legal requirements, often developed through industry codes or self-regulation.

For political advertising, mandatory compliance includes transparency labeling, disclosure notices, and restrictions on targeting with personal data. Voluntary measures might include additional transparency features, enhanced verification procedures, or participation in industry initiatives like the Code of Practice on Disinformation.

Organizations should meet all legal compliance requirements first, then consider voluntary measures to demonstrate leadership and build public trust. However, voluntary commitments made publicly may create legal or reputational obligations if not fulfilled.

Related Terms

Political advertising
Transparency notice
Provider of political advertising services
Sponsor
Publisher
Targeting techniques
Data protection authority
GDPR
Digital Services Act
Competent authority

Very transparent. Every political ad will be labelled, linked to a transparency notice with detailed information, and online ads will be searchable in a central European repository.

The Network coordinates election-related cooperation between member states. National contact points for TTPA enforcement should be members of this network where possible.

Election campaigns will need to ensure all paid advertising includes proper labels and transparency notices. Sponsors must be prepared to provide required information to all service providers.

Several major platforms currently do not allow paid political advertising, including some large social networks. This limits where political actors can place paid online advertisements.

The TTPA applies from 10 October 2025. Member States had until 10 April 2025 to designate competent authorities, and the Commission must provide label templates by 10 July 2025.

Publishers must ensure completeness and accuracy of certain information but are not required to verify all sponsor claims. They must correct manifestly erroneous information when they become aware of it.

Yes. When a hosting provider and a website both display an ad, both are considered publishers with responsibility for their specific services. Contracts should clarify how they share compliance duties.

If a publisher removes or disables access to a political ad due to illegality or terms violations, they must still provide access to the transparency information for the full seven-year retention period.