Vlaams Belang criticises EU and Meta over political advertising restrictions
“Meta’s ban on political advertising hits Vlaams Belang hard,” said party chairman Tom Van Grieken on Friday, responding to the tech giant’s announcement that it will stop allowing political adverts on its platforms in the EU starting in October. Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
“Meta’s ban on political advertising is understandable on the one hand due to the unworkable censorship of EU regulations, but it hits us hard, especially because Vlaams Belang (with 1 million voters!) is the only party not allowed to advertise with DPG Media, which has a virtual monopoly in Flanders,” Van Grieken stated.
“Our voters are being muzzled again. Apparently, the opinions of Vlaams Belang voters are not allowed to be shown. The solution? Share our message as much as possible on social media and restore freedom of speech,” he added.
"This is about the EU’s will to wield power to seize control"
According to Vlaams Belang MEP Tom Vandendriessche, Meta’s decision is a direct consequence of the European Union’s desire to control public debate. “This isn’t about advertising, but about the EU’s will to wield power to seize control over all information channels it can’t control. They’re forcing Big Tech to apply their censorship in their place.”
Vandendriessche argues that the new EU rules on political advertising are vague, complex and legally risky in a way that major tech companies like Meta prefer to block all political content entirely. As a result, he claims, opposition parties are losing vital access to the public, while the EU consolidates its grip on the democratic conversation.
The far-right party is therefore calling for a fundamental reform of how the digital space is regulated. It advocates for interoperability to ensure users retain their networks and reach when switching platforms, and a ban on shadowbanning, the practice of making users invisible without their knowledge.
© PHOTO IMAGO
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