Meta, TikTok and X have asked a British court to curb information demands issued by Ofcom under the Online Safety Act, opening one of the first substantial legal tests of the regulator’s investigative powers under the new regime.
The notices seek detailed material about how the platforms identify, moderate and measure users’ exposure to illegal or harmful content. The companies argue that parts of the requests are excessive, uncertain or disproportionate. Ofcom says the information is genuinely needed to assess compliance and that it has already narrowed aspects of the demands after discussions with the platforms.
The case is procedural but consequential. Ofcom cannot supervise risk assessments and safety systems without access to internal data, while a notice drafted too broadly can require the disclosure of large volumes of sensitive operational information. The court must decide how much specificity and restraint the statute requires before non-compliance can expose a company to enforcement.
No ruling has yet been delivered. The hearing continues, and the companies remain subject to the Act while their challenges are considered. The legislation permits penalties that can reach 10 per cent of worldwide revenue in serious cases, giving disputes over the scope of information notices an importance well beyond ordinary document production.
The outcome will help draw the first judicial boundary around Ofcom’s evidence-gathering power. It will not determine whether any of the platforms has breached a substantive safety duty, which would require a separate investigation and decision.
Official Ofcom online-safety portal
