Political content rules on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and more
The short answer
Getting paid is the hardest line: TikTok removes political content creators are paid for, disclosed or not, and Snapchat and LinkedIn remove paid political content and endorsements.
- False information about how, when or where to vote is removed on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Threads, and has its reach cut on X.
- Instagram, Facebook and Threads let viewers choose to see less political content, and Snapchat doesn't recommend political content on Spotlight from creators who aren't pre-approved.
- YouTube blocks paid political promotion in the EU, and Pinterest doesn't allow political ads.
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Threads
- Snapchat
At a glance
| Platform | What can happen | Its strictest rule |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Taken down, Shown to fewer people | Paid political content or campaign fundraising |
| YouTube | Taken down, Muted or blocked | False voting info or election interference |
| Taken down, Shown to fewer people | False voting info or vote buying | |
| Taken down, Demonetized, Shown to fewer people | False voting info or vote buying | |
| X | Shown to fewer people | False info on how, when or where to vote |
| Threads | Taken down, Shown to fewer people | False voting info or vote buying |
| Snapchat | Taken down, Shown to fewer people | Paid political or issue content |
| Taken down | Political ad or campaign merchandise | |
| Taken down | Paid political endorsement |
The rules, side by side
Each row is a platform's own rule: what it means, what the platform says, how to fix it, and where to read it in full.
| Platform | The rule, in plain words | In their words | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Paid political content or campaign fundraisingRemovalPolitical content the creator was paid or given anything for (disclosed or not), any advertising by political figures or parties, or campaign fundraising by government, politician or political-party accounts.Fix: Don't accept payment or perks for political content. Remove donation links from campaign accounts. | “Paid political advertising, whether or not it's disclosed” | |
| TikTok | False voting info or election interferenceRemovalFalse information about how, when or where to vote or register, voter eligibility, candidate qualifications, election laws or results; encouraging illegal voting or voter intimidation; calls to overturn a valid result.Fix: Remove the false procedure or result claim; link to the official election authority instead. | “Calling for unlawful disruption of a valid election outcome, such as through a coup” | |
| TikTok | Undisclosed posting for a foreign governmentRemovalPosting content on behalf of a foreign entity (government, military) without saying so, coordinating secretly with other accounts to push a candidate or issue, or hiding the account's real identity to sway elections, social issues or conflicts.Fix: Disclose who you are posting for, or don't post it. | “Posting content on behalf of foreign entities (like a government or military) without saying so” | |
| TikTok | Unverified election claims or suspected paid politicsNot recommendedUnverified claims about an election (e.g. 'all ballots are counted' before the final tally), statements that misrepresent official civic information (e.g. a false claim about a bill's text), or content that looks like paid political advertising.Fix: Cite the official source for election and bill claims; keep sponsorship cues off political posts. | “Unverified claims about an election, such as claiming all ballots are counted before a final tally” | |
| YouTube | False voting info or election interferenceRemovalMisleading voters about when, where or how to vote or who can vote; false claims about current candidates' or officials' legal eligibility (age, citizenship, being alive); encouraging people to interfere with voting.Fix: Check voting dates and procedures against official sources and link them; remove calls to disrupt voting. | “Content aiming to mislead voters about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting, or false claims that could materially discourage voting.” | |
| YouTube | Paid political promotion is blocked in the EUBlocked in some regionsA video that contains paid political promotion that counts as 'political advertising' under the EU Political Advertising Regulation 2024/900.Fix: Disclose it in Studio and accept that EU viewers won't see it, or remove the paid political segment. | “Starting on October 10, 2025, creators must disclose if a video contains an EU political paid promotion, which will result in that video being unavailable to EU users.” | |
| InstagramFacebookThreads | False voting info or vote buyingRemovalWrong dates, places, times or methods for voting or registration, false claims about who can vote or whether a vote counts, false claims a candidate dropped out, false claims ICE is at a polling place, offers to buy or sell votes, or encouraging illegal voting.Fix: Correct the voting logistics or link to the official election authority. | “Misinformation about the dates, locations, times, and methods for voting, voter registration, or census participation.” | |
| Political or social-issue content (viewer controls)Reduced reachContent about governments, elections, laws or social topics. Meta may now recommend it to non-followers based on personalized signals, but viewers who set their Political Content control to see less will not be shown it.Fix: No change required. If broad reach matters more than the political angle, keep the topic non-political. | “We may recommend political content from accounts people don’t already follow based on personalized signals.” | ||
| Inflammatory take on social issuesDemonetizationDepicting or discussing race, gender, national origin, age, political affiliation, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, class, religion, immigration or election legitimacy in a polarizing or inflammatory way, or exploiting controversial issues for commercial purposes.Fix: Keep the tone informative rather than inflammatory if the video is monetized. | “Content may be subject to reduced or disabled monetization if it depicts or discusses the following subjects in a polarizing or inflammatory manner:” | ||
| Political or social-issue content (viewer controls)Reduced reachContent about governments, elections, laws or social topics. Meta may now recommend it to non-followers based on personalized signals, but viewers who set their Political Content control to see less will not be shown it.Fix: No change required. If broad reach matters more than the political angle, keep the topic non-political. | “This means we also may recommend political content from accounts people don’t already follow.” | ||
| X | False info on how, when or where to voteReduced reachFalse or misleading claims about voting or census procedures, requirements, dates or times; false claims that polls are closed, votes won't count, or police are at polling places; or calls to intimidate voters or poll workers.Fix: Point to the official election authority instead of stating procedures yourself, and remove claims you cannot verify. | “Posts that receive this label will have their reach restricted on X” | |
| Threads | Political or social-issue content (viewer controls)Reduced reachContent about governments, elections, laws or social topics. Meta may now recommend it to non-followers based on personalized signals, but viewers who set their Political Content control to see less will not be shown it.Fix: No change required. If broad reach matters more than the political angle, keep the topic non-political. | “We may recommend political content from profiles people don’t already follow based on personalized signals.” | |
| Snapchat | Paid political or issue contentRemovalSponsored or paid content about candidates, parties, ballot measures, PACs, 'go vote' messages, or debated issues (abortion, immigration, environment, guns, etc.).Fix: Don't accept payment for political posts; political ads must go through Snap's ad platform. | “Snapchatters are free to express their own political opinions, but Snap restricts the paid promotion of political messaging to traditional ad formats in approved markets (which excludes the European Union).” | |
| Snapchat | Election or political issue content on SpotlightNot recommendedContent about candidates, parties, ballot measures or PACs, 'go vote' messages, or advocacy on debated public issues, posted by a creator who is not a pre-approved Partner or Snap Star.Fix: If you are not a Snap Star or approved Partner, expect no Spotlight reach for this video; post it to your Story for followers instead. | “Political Content is eligible for recommendation on Spotlight only from trusted, pre-approved Partners or Snap Star Creators.” | |
| Political ad or campaign merchandiseRemovalA promoted Pin for or against candidates, parties or PACs, political issues meant to influence an election, legislation or referendums, or political campaign merchandise.Fix: Don't promote political content as an ad on Pinterest. | “The election or defeat of political candidates running for public office, including fundraising for political candidates or parties” | ||
| Paid political endorsementRemovalPolitical advertisements, endorsements or support posted in exchange for money or other personal benefit.Fix: Don't accept payment for political posts. | “We don't allow political advertisements, endorsements, or support posted in exchange for money or personal benefit.” |
Laws that apply on every platform
These come from laws and advertising regulators, not from a platform, so they follow you to every app in the places they cover.
| Where | The rule, in plain words | In their words | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| US states | AI in a paid political ad without disclosure (US states)Needs a disclosure labelA paid political ad or sponsorship about a candidate, election or ballot question in a US state with an AI-disclosure law contains AI-generated image, audio or video and lacks the required statement. In Michigan the statement must say it was generated in whole or substantially by AI, shown for at least 4 seconds and spoken for at least 3 seconds at the beginning or end of a video.Fix: Add the state's required statement, for example on screen for at least 4 seconds and spoken for at least 3 seconds at the start or end: 'This ad was generated in whole or substantially by artificial intelligence.' Check the rules of the state where the election is. | “State that the qualified political advertisement was generated in whole or substantially by artificial intelligence.” |