Meta, Tiktok, X lose legal challenge against UK regulator Ofcom over online safety demands

Meta, TikTok and X/Twitter on Friday lost a legal challenge against British regulator Ofcom over the amount of information it is demanding they provide under Britain's nascent online safety regime.

The challenge is one of the first in relation to the 2023 Online Safety Act, which sets tougher standards for platforms such as TikTok, X and Meta's Facebook and Instagram with the aim to protect children from harmful and illegal content.

Ofcom has been gradually implementing the regime, with its requirements backed up by the threat of fines of up to 10% of a company's global turnover for the most serious breaches.

Ofcom introduced 'unprecedented' regulation, social media companies say

In February, it issued information notices requesting detailed content moderation metrics from the tech companies, including data on how many posts were removed or had visibility restricted, and how many users were exposed to harmful content.

Meta, TikTok and X argued the notices create unprecedented regulatory burdens, but their case was rejected by London's High Court.

Neither the companies nor Ofcom immediately responded to requests for comment.