Meta, TikTok and X have lost a legal challenge against Britain’s media regulator Ofcom over its demands for information under the country’s Online Safety Act, in an early test of the new online safety regime.
The High Court in London ruled on Friday that the regulator’s requests for detailed information from the three technology companies were lawful, rejecting their arguments that the demands were disproportionate and imposed an excessive regulatory burden.
The case is among several legal challenges concerning provisions of the Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, which introduced stricter obligations for online platforms, including TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram, to protect children from harmful and illegal content.
In February, Ofcom issued information notices to the three companies seeking detailed statistics on content moderation, including the number of posts removed or restricted and how many users had been exposed to harmful material.
The companies argued that complying with the requests would impose an unprecedented regulatory burden. X said fulfilling the information requests could cost several million pounds, describing them as among the most burdensome it had received from a regulator.
However, the High Court dismissed their arguments, ruling against the companies’ claims that Ofcom’s requests were disproportionate.
The ruling represents a significant victory for Ofcom as it gradually implements the Online Safety Act. The regulator welcomed the decision, saying that collecting information from companies was fundamental to its ability to carry out its responsibilities.
Under the legislation, companies found guilty of the most serious violations can face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue.
The latest ruling does not resolve separate legal disputes involving Meta. The company is also challenging Ofcom’s approach to calculating fees and potential fines, as well as the regulator’s classification of WhatsApp under the new framework.
Earlier this month, Meta became the subject of Ofcom’s first formal investigation under the Online Safety Act.
Meta and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. TikTok said it was reviewing the judgment but provided no further details.
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