Meta, TikTok, X lose legal challenge against UK watchdog over online safety data demands
- Tech giants Meta, TikTok, and X failed in their legal bid to block Ofcom's data demands for child protection under the Online Safety Act
Meta, TikTok, and X lost a legal challenge against UK regulator Ofcom over demands for content moderation data under the new Online Safety Act, which aims to protect children.
- Ofcom's demands for detailed content moderation metrics.
- The Online Safety Act's aim to protect children from harmful content.
- Tech companies' arguments about unprecedented regulatory burdens.
LONDON: Meta, TikTok and X on Friday lost a legal challenge against British regulator Ofcom over the amount of information it is demanding they provide under Britain’s nascent online safety regime.
The challenge is one of the first in relation to the 2023 Online Safety Act, which sets tougher standards for platforms such as TikTok, X and Meta’s Facebook and Instagram with the aim to protect children from harmful and illegal content.
Ofcom has been gradually implementing the regime, with its requirements backed up by the threat of fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover for the most serious breaches.
In February, it issued information notices requesting detailed content moderation metrics from the tech companies, including data on how many posts were removed or had visibility restricted, and how many users were exposed to harmful content.
Meta, TikTok and X argued the notices create unprecedented regulatory burdens, but their case was rejected by London’s High Court.
None of the companies, nor Ofcom, immediately responded to requests for comment.
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