Meta, TikTok and X Lose in London High Court as Ofcom's Information Notices Stand

Meta, TikTok and X have lost a legal fight against the regulator Ofcom over information demands under Britain's Online Safety Act. London's High Court delivered the ruling on Friday (30 October). It is one of the first important tests of how the country's new online safety law will work in practice.

The case is one of several filed over different provisions of the Act, passed in 2023. The law sets strict safety rules for social media platforms such as TikTok, X and Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram. Protecting children from harmful and illegal content is one of its main goals.

Ofcom is introducing the Online Safety Act regime in stages. Its conditions are enforced with the threat of fines of up to 10 percent of a company's global revenue for the most serious breaches.

In February, the regulator sent information notices to Meta, TikTok and X. The notices demanded detailed content-moderation statistics, including how many posts had been removed or had their visibility limited, and how many users had encountered harmful content.

The three companies argued that the notices created an unprecedented regulatory burden. X claimed that meeting what it called the most burdensome information request it had received from any regulator would cost it several million pounds.

The High Court, however, dismissed their case. The ruling rejected the companies' argument that the information demands were disproportionate.

Welcoming the ruling, an Ofcom spokesperson said gathering information from companies is a fundamental part of the regulator's ability to carry out its work.

Friday's ruling is a major gain for Ofcom, but the fight is not over. A more important ruling is still pending in Meta's separate case over how Ofcom calculates fees and potential fines. Meta is also challenging Ofcom over the categorisation of WhatsApp under the new regime.

Earlier this month, Meta also became the subject of Ofcom's first formal investigation under the Online Safety Act.

X and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. TikTok said it was considering the ruling but gave no further details. The information appeared in a Reuters report on Friday.