EFA report highlights damaging impact of TTPA regulation on EU NGOs

A majority of NGOs responding to a recent EFA survey into the impact of the EU’s TTPA regulation on digital advertising report that it is negatively affecting their freedom of expression and ability to act as NGOs.

The Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising regulation (TTPA) came into force on 10 October 2025. To assess its impact, earlier this year EFA surveyed 170 organizations across 12 EU countries. The findings are published in the report When mission messages are blocked, causes lose reach, voice and income.

Out of the 170 organizations:

• 57.6% reported an impact on online advertising
• Among follow-up respondents, 47.0% reported a decline in online donation revenue, with 18.4% experiencing a sharp decline
• Most notably, 87.8% said the main impact concerned their freedom of expression and ability to act as NGOs

The survey indicates that these effects are interconnected, simultaneously impacting fundraising performance, supporter growth, and civic voice. Four key areas are particularly affected: fundraising, reach, advocacy and public education, and organizational behaviour.

Commenting on the findings, Laurence Lepetit, EFA vice president / EFA public affairs, said:

“The report documents a clear and damaging pattern: that enforcement mainly by META platforms linked to TTPA is not only filtering political advertising, but also suppressing legitimate nonprofit communication, fundraising and public-interest advocacy across Europe.”

Also included in the report are concrete examples from across Europe. These include a Finnish Red Cross appeal featuring a Ukrainian refugee that was blocked as political content, and a family reunification message by Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR) in Spain that was rejected on the grounds that it addressed a “social issue.”

The report brings together data, cross-country trends, and real-world cases of blocked or misclassified content. This strengthens EFA’s position in discussions with EU institutions and regulators to restore full freedom of expression and action for European public-interest organisations, in line with the European strategy for civil society.

When mission messages are blocked, causes lose reach, voice and income is available here.