Ofcom has opened an investigation into whether Meta properly assessed the safety risks of Instagram Instants before making the feature available to users in Britain.
Instants allows people to exchange photos and videos captured inside Instagram’s direct-messaging service. The regulator is examining whether Meta adequately considered the risk that the product could be used to distribute illegal material or expose children to content they should not encounter.
The Online Safety Act requires platforms to assess foreseeable risks before and during the operation of a service, then put proportionate measures in place. Ofcom’s inquiry will look at the work Meta completed before launch and whether the company’s controls match the risks created by an ephemeral, private-sharing feature.
Opening an investigation does not establish a breach. Ofcom will gather evidence, give Meta an opportunity to respond and decide whether further enforcement is justified. The inquiry is separate from the court challenge in which Meta, TikTok and X are contesting the breadth of information notices issued under the same statutory regime.
The distinction matters. The court case concerns the regulator’s power to demand evidence; the Instants investigation concerns Meta’s own compliance with substantive duties. Together, they show the two sides of the new system taking shape: platforms must manage product risks, and the regulator must obtain enough information to test whether they have done so without exceeding its legal authority.
