UK regulator launches probe into Meta's Instagram Instants safety assessment

Britain's communications regulator, Ofcom, has initiated a formal investigation into whether Meta Platforms breached UK online safety laws by neglecting a thorough risk assessment of Instagram's Instants feature before it was released in May. Instants allows user-shared content to vanish after it is viewed, raising concerns about illegal material and child safety. Ofcom will assess if Meta performed a "suitable and sufficient" evaluation of these risks prior to launch.

Enforcement director George Lusty reiterated that the law requires significant platform changes to undergo pre-launch risk assessments and to embed safety by design from the outset. He warned that the regulator will take action where providers fail to comply. The probe reflects heightened scrutiny of social-media firms' responsibility to protect users, especially minors, under the UK's online safety framework.