Meta has launched a legal challenge against Ofcom over the regulator’s decision to place WhatsApp and Instagram in a category subject to stricter duties under the Online Safety Act. The action is part of a wider series of court challenges by technology companies, raising concerns that legal disputes could delay the law’s implementation.

The additional obligations include greater transparency, stronger user controls, protections against fraudulent advertising and more detailed records of illegal content. Meta is also challenging Ofcom’s method for calculating fees based on global revenue, while TikTok and X are contesting information demands; breaches can incur fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue or £18m, whichever is higher. Ofcom says it is operating in a highly litigious environment, while Meta argues its challenges concern the law’s interpretation and implementation rather than the legislation itself.