The companies are contesting information notices issued by Ofcom in February under the 2023 Online Safety Act. The regulator asked for detailed content moderation data, including how many posts were removed or had their visibility restricted and how many users were exposed to harmful content.
The platforms argue that the requests place an excessive regulatory burden on them. X described Ofcom’s request in a witness statement as the most burdensome information request it had received from any regulator, while Meta said the regulator was seeking wide-ranging and granular information on seven of its services without a clearly defined regulatory purpose. TikTok argued that Ofcom had bypassed another monitoring system that includes specific safeguards.
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Ofcom has defended the requests, saying the information is needed to assess whether the new online safety rules are working. The regulator also said it narrowed the scope of the information it initially sought before implementation.
A wider crackdown on child safety
The dispute comes as Britain prepares tougher restrictions on social media use by children. The government plans to prevent platforms from offering their services to users under 16, with the measures expected to take effect in spring 2027. It also plans stronger age checks and default restrictions on features such as livestreaming and stranger communication.
Sixteen- and 17-year-olds will still be able to use social media, but certain protections will apply by default, including overnight restrictions from midnight to 6 a.m., muted notifications and limits on autoplay and personalized feeds.
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The current court hearing is due to conclude Wednesday. A separate legal challenge by Meta over how Ofcom calculates fees and penalties is expected to be heard next week.
The Online Safety Act allows Ofcom to impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover for the most serious breaches, giving the regulator significant enforcement powers as the new regime takes shape.
