Meta, TikTok, and X are challenging Ofcom, the UK's online safety regulator, over the extensive data demands made under the new Online Safety Act. The tech giants argue the requests create unprecedented regulatory burdens and lack a clear purpose, while Ofcom states the information is necessary to assess the regime's effectiveness.
The outcome of this legal challenge could set a precedent for how regulators can demand data from major tech platforms under new online safety laws, potentially impacting the scope of regulatory oversight and the compliance burdens faced by global technology companies.
Meta, TikTok, and X are challenging the UK's online safety regulator, Ofcom, over the scope of information it is demanding under the country's new online safety regime. The tech giants argue that the requests, issued in February, impose unprecedented regulatory burdens and lack a clearly defined purpose.
X described the information request as the most burdensome it has received from any regulator in any jurisdiction. Meta stated in court filings that Ofcom sought "wide-ranging and granular information" about seven of its services without a clear regulatory objective. TikTok also contended that Ofcom circumvented an alternative monitoring regime with specific safeguards.
Ofcom, however, maintains that the information is essential to assess whether the new regime, established by the 2023 Online Safety Act, is effectively protecting children from harmful and illegal content. The regulator noted it had narrowed the scope of its information requirements before implementation. A spokesperson for Ofcom stated that Parliament has tasked them with regulating an industry that has been unregulated for over 20 years.
The current hearing is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday. Meta is also facing a separate legal challenge next week concerning how fees and penalties are calculated under the Act.
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