Meta files fresh court appeal against UK regulator's Online Safety duties

Meta, the parent of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, has initiated another court appeal in London to overturn Ofcom's decision to place its messaging and photo-sharing services in a higher-risk category under the Online Safety Act. The appeal challenges obligations that would force the platforms to provide more transparency, stronger user-control tools, safeguards against fraudulent ads and expanded monitoring of illegal content.

This follows a May lawsuit in which Meta contested Ofcom's method of calculating fees based on worldwide revenue, a scheme that could impose fines of up to 10% of global earnings or £18 million, whichever is greater. The regulator, which funds its safety work from a share of those fees, says it is operating in a “highly litigious environment,” with similar actions now filed by TikTok, X and other services. Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s group director for online safety, warned that continued legal pressure could cripple the regulator’s ability to enforce the law. Meta’s spokesperson framed the challenge as a normal part of refining a new regulatory framework rather than an attack on the legislation itself.