Transparency Notice
A transparency notice is the detailed information that must be displayed alongside every political advertisement to show who paid for it, how much was spent, and who was targeted. Under EU law, this notice must be clear, easily accessible, and available before, during, or immediately after someone sees the ad.
Legal Basis
"Providers of political advertising publishing services shall ensure that political advertising is clearly distinguished as such and that, for the duration of the period during which a political advertisement is published and for a period of five years thereafter, easily accessible, comprehensive and clear information on the political advertisement, referred to as a 'transparency notice', is directly and easily accessible via a permanent link integrated into the political advertisement or, where that is technically not possible, via a permanent link displayed prominently next to the political advertisement."
— Article 9(1), Regulation (EU) 2024/900
Why It Matters
The transparency notice is the cornerstone of the political advertising regulation. It ensures voters can see exactly who is trying to influence their vote and how much money is being spent to do so. Publishers—including social media platforms, news websites, and influencers—must display this notice for every paid political ad.
The notice must remain accessible for five years after publication. This creates a permanent public record of political advertising activity, enabling journalists, researchers, and citizens to scrutinize campaign spending and detect potential foreign interference or undisclosed influence operations.
Failure to provide a proper transparency notice can result in significant fines. For platforms and publishers, this means building technical systems to generate, display, and archive these notices automatically for potentially millions of ads during election periods.
Key Points
- Must be displayed for every political advertisement, online and offline, with no exceptions
- Remains accessible for five years after the ad stops running, creating a permanent archive
- Must include: sponsor identity, amounts spent, publication period, targeting criteria (if any), and reach data
- Should be accessible via a permanent link integrated into or next to the advertisement
- Publishers are responsible for ensuring the notice is "clear, comprehensive and easily accessible"
- Sponsors must provide accurate information; publishers must display it correctly
Transparency Notice vs. Ad Label
A transparency notice and an ad label are related but distinct requirements. The ad label is the short, prominent marking that identifies content as a political advertisement (e.g., "Political ad" or "Paid political content"). It's the first signal to viewers that they're seeing sponsored political content.
The transparency notice goes much deeper. It's the detailed disclosure accessible through a link on the ad label, showing who paid for the ad, how much they spent, who was targeted, and other mandatory details. Think of the label as the sign on the door and the transparency notice as the detailed information inside.
Both are required by Regulation 2024/900. The label catches attention; the notice provides accountability.