LONDON: Meta, TikTok and X are disputing the scale of information requested by UK regulator Ofcom as it implements the country’s Online Safety Act, according to court filings.
The law, passed in 2023, requires platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to take stronger action against illegal and harmful content, particularly material that could affect children. Serious breaches can lead to fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover.
Ofcom issued notices in February seeking detailed moderation data, including figures on content removals and restrictions, as well as users’ exposure to harmful material. The companies argue the requests are excessively broad and create an unusually heavy regulatory burden.
X described the demand in a witness statement as the most burdensome information request it had received from a regulator. Meta said Ofcom sought extensive, detailed information about seven of its services without a clearly defined regulatory purpose. TikTok argued the regulator had bypassed a separate monitoring system that includes safeguards.
Ofcom says the data is necessary to assess whether the new rules are effective and that it reduced the scope of its requests before putting them into effect. The regulator said Parliament had tasked it with overseeing an industry that had gone largely unregulated for more than two decades.
The hearing is due to conclude on Wednesday. Meta is also expected to bring a separate challenge next week over the calculation of regulatory fees and penalties.
