Meta, TikTok and X take Ofcom to court over Online Safety Act data demands
Updated: 6 days ago
TL;DR: Meta, TikTok and X have mounted one of the first legal challenges to the UK’s Online Safety Act, arguing in London’s Administrative Court that Ofcom’s information demands are disproportionate.
What is being contested
A three-day hearing of the combined challenge by Meta, TikTok and X opened on 5 October 2026 at the London Administrative Court. The dispute centres on Ofcom’s February 2026 information notices seeking content-moderation data — including posts removed or down-ranked and users exposed to harmful content.
X called it the most burdensome information request it has received from any regulator in any jurisdiction; Meta objected to ‘wide-ranging and granular’ demands across seven services; and TikTok argued Ofcom had bypassed a safeguarded monitoring regime.
Why advertisers should care
Brands spend the majority of their digital budgets on exactly these platforms, so a hardening and now contested regulatory climate is not a side issue. Ofcom can fine up to 10% of global turnover for the most serious breaches, which shapes how aggressively platforms police content — and what brand-safety signals they can offer buyers.
The outcome will influence the transparency obligations and data that advertisers and agencies can rely on when judging where their money is safe to run.
The bigger picture
This is an early test of how far the Online Safety Act’s enforcement reaches, and how willing well-funded platforms are to fight it in court. Ofcom has signalled it wants to avoid unnecessary legal risk against deep-pocketed opponents.
For marketers, the practical message is to keep brand-safety and platform-governance questions on the agenda, because the rules shaping platform trust are being written — and litigated — right now.
Quick FAQ
What are Meta, TikTok and X challenging?
They are challenging Ofcom’s February 2026 information notices under the Online Safety Act, which seek detailed content-moderation data. A three-day hearing opened on 5 October 2026 in London’s Administrative Court.
How much can Ofcom fine platforms?
For the most serious breaches of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom can impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover.
Why does this matter for advertisers?
Most digital ad spend flows to these platforms, so how they are regulated affects content moderation, brand safety and the transparency data advertisers can rely on.
Advertisers spend most of their digital money on the very platforms now fighting the regulator in court. How this lands will shape the brand-safety data and transparency we can actually trust — so platform governance belongs on every marketer’s agenda, not just the legal team’s. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The rules governing the platforms that carry most ad spend are being litigated right now — brand safety and platform governance deserve a permanent place on the marketing agenda.
How closely does your team track platform regulation when deciding where to spend?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Reuters (via The Star) and Winbuzzer.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
