Meta, TikTok and X Lose High Court Fight Over Ofcom Data Demands

Three of the world’s biggest social media companies have reportedly lost a High Court challenge to Ofcom data demands, in one of the first major legal tests of Britain’s Online Safety Act. Reuters reported on Friday that London’s High Court rejected the case brought by Meta, TikTok and X, according to a summary of the report by The Next Web.

The judgment had not been published when the news emerged, so the court’s reasoning is unclear. Neither the companies nor Ofcom had responded to requests for comment.

What Ofcom asked for

The dispute centres on information notices the regulator sent to the platforms in February. Ofcom sought detailed figures on how each service handles harmful content, including how many posts it removes or restricts and how many users come across such material. The data would help the regulator judge whether the new rules are working.

Ofcom says it narrowed the scope of its requests before they took effect. The companies argued that gathering the information would place an unusually heavy burden on them.

Three platforms, three objections

At a hearing earlier this month, each company made a different case. X called the notice the most demanding request it had ever received from a regulator. Meta argued that Ofcom wanted extensive data across seven of its services without clearly explaining how it would use it. TikTok said the regulator had bypassed a separate system for assessing platforms, which has its own safeguards.

Together, the arguments covered the scale of the work, the lack of a stated purpose and the choice of legal route. Based on the reported outcome, none persuaded the court, though the written judgment will show which points it considered and how.

Why the ruling matters

The Online Safety Act became law in 2023 and gives Ofcom powers to enforce rules requiring platforms to protect users, particularly children, from illegal and harmful content. Companies that commit serious breaches can face fines of up to 10% of their global turnover. Regulators can only enforce rules like these if they can get reliable figures from the companies they oversee, so the reported ruling is a significant early result for Ofcom.

If the outcome stands, the platforms will probably have to answer the regulator’s questions about removals, restrictions and user exposure to harmful content. That would give Ofcom a clearer picture of how each service performs. The companies may still consider their options once the judgment is public, but the sources do not say whether any appeal is planned.

A wider run of disputes

The case is part of a broader pattern of friction between Meta and the regulator. Meta has separately challenged Ofcom’s method for calculating fees under the Online Safety Act, and Ofcom is also investigating Instagram Instants.

The full judgment will matter most. It should show how far Ofcom’s information-gathering powers extend and how much weight the court gave to the companies’ complaints about cost and complexity. Until then, the reported result suggests the court has sided with the regulator on the Ofcom data demands.

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