Meta, TikTok, and X Lose Court Appeal Against UK Communications Office

Meta, TikTok, and X lost a legal challenge today against the UK communications regulator Ofcom over the volume of information the regulator demands they provide under Britain’s emerging Online Safety regime.

This lawsuit is among the first challenges to the Online Safety Act, enacted in 2023, which imposes stricter standards on platforms such as TikTok and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, as well as X, to protect children from harmful and illegal content.

Ofcom is gradually implementing the regime, backing its requirements with the threat of fines of up to 10% of companies’ global revenue for the most serious violations.

In February, the regulator issued notices requiring technology companies to submit detailed metrics on content moderation, including data on the number of posts removed or restricted in their visibility, and the number of users exposed to harmful content.