MADRID: Spain’s leftist government has ordered seven online platforms to remove more than 100 listings for vacation rentals in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
The consumer affairs ministry said Tuesday it has identified 138 listings on platforms operating in Spain and notified the companies to “immediately remove or block” the content.
If they fail to comply, the platforms could face further government action, the statement said without specifying what the consequences would be.
The move is part of measures adopted by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government backing Palestinians and condemning Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
A decree approved by lawmakers in October includes an arms embargo on Israel and a ban on the advertising of products “coming from illegal colonies in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy said the listings help “normalize and perpetuate a colonial regime considered illegal under international law.”
In October, France’s Human Rights League filed complaints against Airbnb and Booking.com accusing them of promoting “occupation tourism” by featuring properties in settlements.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, while Israel views them as largely legal.
Spain recognized a Palestinian state in 2024 and has become one of the most outspoken European critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, launched after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel.
Spain seeks removal of ads for rentals in Israeli settlements
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Spain seeks removal of ads for rentals in Israeli settlements
- The consumer affairs ministry identified 138 listings on platforms operating in Spain and notified the companies to “immediately remove or block” the content
Meta to charge Arab advertisers extra fee for reaching European audiences
- US tech giant told advertisers it will add fees ranging from 2 to 5 percent on image and video ads delivered on its platforms to offset digital service taxes
- Charges are determined by where the audience is located, not where the advertiser is based
LONDON: Meta will from July 1 impose location-based surcharges on advertisers targeting audiences in six European countries, a move that will directly affect Arab businesses that run campaigns across the continent.
The US tech giant announced it will add fees ranging from 2 to 5 percent on image and video ads delivered on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to offset digital service taxes imposed by individual governments.
Crucially, the charges are determined by where the audience is located, not where the advertiser is based.
That means Saudi, Emirati, Egyptian or other Arab companies paying to reach consumers in the UK, France or Italy will face the additional costs regardless of their own country’s tax arrangements with Meta.
Fees will apply at 2 percent for ads reaching UK audiences, 3 percent for France, Italy and Spain, and 5 percent for Austria and Turkiye.
“If you deliver $100 in ads to Italy, where there is a 3% location fee, you will be charged $100 (ad delivery), plus $3 (location fee), for $103 total,” the company wrote in an email to an advertiser initially reported by Bloomberg. “Note that any applicable VAT will be calculated on top of the total amount.”
The taxes have been introduced at different points, starting with France in 2019, though not the EU as a bloc.
Many tech companies report substantial sales in Europe and millions of users but pay minimal tax on profits. The goal is to claw back locally derived economic value, Bloomberg reported.
The move follows similar decisions by Google and Amazon, which have also begun passing European digital tax costs on to advertisers.
For Arab brands with growing European footprints, particularly in fashion, travel, hospitality and media, the new fees add another layer of cost to campaigns already subject to currency and targeting complexities.
Digital services taxes, levied as a percentage of revenues earned by major tech platforms in individual countries, have drawn criticism from Washington, which argues they unfairly target US companies.
Meta has been reached for comments.
