Meta ads about social issues, elections or politics
Meta’s help article “About ads about social issues, elections or politics” only loads with JavaScript. Here it is in plain words, with its companion pages on authorization, disclaimers and availability, from Meta’s help center as read on October 9, 2026.
On this page · 8 sections
- What counts as an ad about social issues, elections or politics?
- How do you get authorized to run these ads?
- How do “Paid for by” disclaimers work?
- In which countries are these rules enforced?
- Can you still run political ads in the European Union?
- What happens if you run one without authorization?
- Which placements, formats and advertisers are treated differently?
- Where does Adwize fit?
Meta treats an ad as being about social issues, elections or politics when it is made by, for or about a candidate, political figure, party or political action committee, when it is about an election, referendum or ballot initiative, when it covers a social issue where it runs, or when it is regulated as political advertising. To run one, you complete Meta’s ad authorization: you must live and be located in the country you target, have two-factor authentication on, and confirm your identity with an unexpired ID from that country. Each ad then carries a “Paid for by” disclaimer naming who paid. An ad that runs without one is paused, disapproved and added to the Ad Library. Requirements vary by country, and Meta lists three groups of countries. In the European Union, Meta says advertisers can no longer create or edit these ads, in response to the TTPA regulation.
TL;DR
- Meta looks at the ad’s content: candidates, parties, elections, referendums, social issues, or ads regulated as political.
- You need authorization: live in the targeted country, turn on two-factor authentication and confirm your identity.
- Each ad shows a “Paid for by” disclaimer. Meta reviews disclaimers within 24 hours.
- In the European Union, Meta says advertisers cannot create or edit these ads because of the TTPA regulation.
- Adwize does not get authorized for you or work around these rules: that step stays yours.
What counts as an ad about social issues, elections or politics?
Meta uses four tests. The ad is made by, on behalf of or about a candidate, a political figure, a party or a political action committee. Or it is about an election, a referendum or a ballot initiative, including get out the vote campaigns. Or it is about a social issue where it runs. Or the law regulates it as political advertising.
The policy looks at the content of the ad, not at who you are. Meta adds that an ad whose main purpose is to sell a product or promote a service may not count as a social issue ad. That exception does not cover products or services about politicians, parties or legislation, which still need transparency.
Example. A shop selling reusable bottles runs an ad about its new colors: that is a product ad. The same shop runs an ad urging people to back a plastic ban bill: that ad is about legislation, so it falls under the policy.
How do you get authorized to run these ads?
You complete Meta’s ad authorization process. It is open to advertisers who live in, and are located in, the targeted country when they run the ads. You must be a Page admin or advertiser on the Page that runs the ads, and you must have two-factor authentication turned on before you start.
To confirm your identity, Meta asks for one government ID or two non-government IDs, or a notarized form downloaded from Meta. The documents must be unexpired and issued by the country you want to target. Meta says your ID is encrypted, normally kept for up to one year, and that you can cut this to 30 days in your identity settings.
Keep two-factor authentication on. Meta warns that turning it off disables your disclaimers and ads and revokes your authorization, so you would have to start again. You can only run these ads in the country where you are authorized.
- Be a Page admin or advertiser on the Page
- Live in and be located in the target country
- Turn on two-factor authentication
- Confirm your identity with an unexpired local ID
- Create a disclaimer and link your ad account
How do “Paid for by” disclaimers work?
A disclaimer is the line on your ad that names the person or organization responsible for it. It must be accurate and kept valid at all times. Its entity must be located in the country set during authorization and ad creation. Only a Page admin can create or edit disclaimers for a country, but advertisers can use them.
Meta lists what a disclaimer must avoid: profanity or unrecognizable words, URLs or acronyms unless they form the organization’s real name, implying that Facebook or a foreign leader paid for the ad, and repeating the “Paid for by” wording Meta already adds. Websites, phone numbers, emails and addresses on it must work, and Meta checks them from time to time.
Disclaimers are reviewed within 24 hours. If you edit one, it goes back into review and you cannot create new ads until it is approved again. If someone shares your ad, the shared version keeps the disclaimer. An ad that mentions a current or former candidate needs one, even if that person is not running now.
In which countries are these rules enforced?
Meta’s availability page says its ads transparency tools exist in 243 countries and territories, and that it requires authorization and detects or reviews possible political ads in more than 220. It then sorts countries into three lists, and each country links to its own requirements.
The first list requires authorization and a disclaimer for ads about social issues, elections or politics. It includes Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Ukraine. The second list applies the same requirements only to ads about elections or politics, in countries such as Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia and Japan.
The third list is voluntary and, when read, named Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Macao and South Korea. There, Meta strongly encourages authorization and a disclaimer but does not proactively detect or review these ads. For some countries, Meta marks that only the name on the disclaimer is shown. Check your own country on Meta’s page before you plan anything.
| List on Meta’s page | What Meta requires | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Social issues, elections or politics | Authorization and disclaimer | United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India |
| Elections or politics only | Authorization and disclaimer for those ads | Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan |
| Voluntary | Encouraged, not proactively reviewed | Hong Kong, Macao, South Korea |
| European Union | Advertisers cannot create or edit them | All EU member states |
Can you still run political ads in the European Union?
No. Meta’s pages say that, in response to the European Union’s Transparency and Targeting of Political Ads regulation (TTPA), advertisers are not able to create or edit ads about social issues, elections or politics in the European Union. Meta points to its Newsroom for the reasons behind the decision.
There is one nuance on the authorization page. Advertisers in the EU can still create a disclaimer in some cases, for example a qualifying intergovernmental organization that runs social issue ads aimed at several countries outside the European Union, unless something else forbids it.
Example. A French association wants to promote a petition to people in France. Under Meta’s current pages, it cannot create that ad. The same association can still run ordinary ads for its shop or its events, as long as they are not about a social issue, an election or politics.
What happens if you run one without authorization?
Meta says an ad that needs a disclaimer and runs without one is paused, disapproved and added to the Ad Library until the advertiser completes authorization. Every ad about social issues, elections or politics enters the Ad Library, authorized or not, and Meta keeps it there for seven years.
Repeat offenders face more. Advertisers who keep running these ads without authorization get restrictions, which Meta says can become permanent restrictions on their ability to advertise. That is one more reason to read Meta’s ad examples before you write anything close to a political topic.
If your account is already restricted, Meta’s pages on disabled accounts apply. Our guide to a disabled Facebook ad account explains those steps.
- Political ad without disclaimer
- = paused and disapproved
- Any political ad
- = in the Ad Library for 7 years
- Repeated unauthorized ads
- = restrictions, possibly permanent
Which placements, formats and advertisers are treated differently?
Not every placement accepts these ads. Meta lists Messenger, WhatsApp, the right hand column, Marketplace, Search, Suggested Videos, Video feed, Audience Network, In-Stream reserve and in-stream video on desktop as unsupported. Dynamic product ads and boosted ambient live video are the only unsupported formats.
Some advertisers get more room. Select advertisers and intergovernmental organizations, meaning bodies of three or more sovereign states bound by a treaty, can run social issue ads aimed at several countries. Qualifying charities and humanitarian groups can run specific social issue ads across the United Kingdom and the United States. Their ads still need disclaimers and cannot carry electoral, political or legislative content.
For everyone else, the rule stays simple: one authorization, one country, one disclaimer per ad.
Where does Adwize fit?
Adwize prepares Meta campaigns from one sentence and shows you every setting in plain words before anything goes live. It does not get authorized for you, does not create disclaimers and does not work around Meta’s rules. If an ad is about a social issue, an election or politics, those steps stay yours in Meta. See the Launch page.
For the ads you can run, Adwize waits for your approval before anything launches, changes or spends, then reads the results each day and proposes changes in one sentence. See the Optimize page.
Adwize works with Meta ads only, on Facebook and Instagram, inside your own ad account, under the same policies as Ads Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need authorization to sell a product with a cause behind it?
Not always. Meta says an ad whose main purpose is selling a product or promoting a service may not count as a social issue ad. Products or services about politicians, parties or legislation still need authorization and a disclaimer.
Which ID does Meta accept for political ad authorization?
One government ID, two non-government IDs, or a notarized form downloaded from Meta. Documents must be unexpired and issued by the country you want to target, and two-factor authentication must be on.
How long does Meta take to review a disclaimer?
Meta says disclaimers are reviewed within 24 hours. If you edit a disclaimer, it goes back into review and you cannot create new ads with it until it is approved.
Can I run ads about social issues in France or Germany?
Not under Meta’s current pages. In response to the EU’s TTPA regulation, Meta says advertisers cannot create or edit ads about social issues, elections or politics in the European Union.
Can Adwize get my political ads approved?
No. Adwize does not complete authorization, create disclaimers or work around Meta’s rules. You do those steps in Meta. Adwize prepares the ads you are allowed to run and waits for your approval before launch.
Sources
- Meta Business Help Center, About ads about social issues, elections or politicsAccessed 10/09/2026
- Meta Business Help Center, Get authorized to run ads about social issues, elections or politicsAccessed 10/09/2026
- Meta Business Help Center, How disclaimers work for ads about social issues, elections or politicsAccessed 10/09/2026
- Meta Business Help Center, Availability for ads about social issues, elections or politicsAccessed 10/09/2026
