High Court Rejects Tech Giants' Challenge to Ofcom
Meta, TikTok, and X lost a legal battle against Ofcom over demands for detailed content moderation data under the Online Safety Act.
The High Court in London dismissed a legal challenge on Friday brought by Meta Platforms Incorporated, TikTok, and X against the British regulator Ofcom. The companies contested information notices issued in February that required the submission of detailed content moderation metrics, including data on user exposure to harmful content, visibility restrictions, and post removals.
The tech companies argued that the requests imposed an unprecedented regulatory burden. X specifically claimed that complying with the notices would cost millions of pounds. The court rejected these arguments, ruling that the information requests were not disproportionate.
This ruling serves as one of the first major tests of the 2023 Online Safety Act, which establishes stricter standards for protecting children from illegal and harmful content. Ofcom possesses the authority to levy fines of up to 10% of a company's global turnover for serious breaches of these rules. Following the judgment, TikTok stated it is considering the ruling, while Meta and X did not immediately respond. Meta continues to engage in separate disputes with the regulator over the categorization of WhatsApp and fee calculations.
