LONDON: Meta, TikTok and X are challenging Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom over the scale of information it is requiring them to provide under the country’s new online safety regime.
The case is among the first major legal challenges linked to the UK’s 2023 Online Safety Act, which imposes tougher obligations on platforms including TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram to protect children from harmful and illegal content.
Ofcom has been rolling out the new regulatory framework in stages, backed by potential fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover for the most serious violations.
In February, the regulator issued information notices seeking detailed content-moderation data from the companies. The requests included figures on how many posts were removed or had their visibility restricted, as well as data on the number of users exposed to harmful content.
Meta, TikTok and X argue that the notices impose an unprecedented regulatory burden.
In one witness statement, X described Ofcom’s request as “the most burdensome information request X has received from any regulator in any jurisdiction.”
Meta said in court filings that Ofcom was seeking “wide-ranging and granular information” covering seven of its services without a clearly defined regulatory purpose.
TikTok also argued that Ofcom had bypassed an alternative monitoring regime that included specific safeguards.
Ofcom has defended the requests, saying the information is genuinely necessary to assess whether the new online safety framework is working.
The regulator also said it had narrowed the scope of the information required before implementation.
“Parliament has charged us with the job of regulating an industry that has been unregulated and unaccountable for more than 20 years,” an Ofcom spokesperson said.
The current hearing is due to conclude on Wednesday.
A separate legal challenge brought by Meta over the way regulatory fees and penalties are calculated is expected next week.