Meta, TikTok and X have lost a legal challenge against the United Kingdom’s online safety regulator, Ofcom, over its powers to demand data from social media platforms, Reuters reported on Friday.
London’s High Court dismissed the companies’ challenge, although the judgment had not been published as of the time of reporting, leaving the court’s reasons for the decision unclear.
The dispute followed information requests issued by Ofcom to the three platforms in February.
The regulator sought detailed data on how they tackle harmful content, including the number of posts removed or restricted and the number of users exposed to such material.
The companies argued that providing the requested information would impose an unusually heavy operational burden on their businesses, Reuters reported.
The case is one of the first major legal challenges to the UK’s Online Safety Act, which was enacted in 2023.
The law empowers Ofcom to enforce rules requiring digital platforms to protect users, particularly children, from illegal and harmful content. Companies found guilty of serious violations face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global turnover.
During a court hearing earlier this month, the three platforms presented separate objections to Ofcom’s information requests.
X described the regulator’s notice as the most demanding request it had ever received from a regulatory authority.
Meta, meanwhile, argued that Ofcom had requested extensive data covering seven of its services without clearly explaining how the information would be used.
TikTok challenged the regulator’s approach, claiming it had bypassed a separate platform assessment process that comes with its own safeguards.
