Ofcom warns X over illegal content despite moderation improvements Tech Ofcom has warned Elon Musk’s X it is still failing to effectively tackle illegal hate and terrorist content despite improvements in how quickly the platform responds to reports. The UK watchdog said on Wednesday that X’s first quarterly performance report showed it was meeting agreed deadlines for reviewing suspected illegal material, but raised concerns about [...]
Meta challenges Ofcom in court for ‘acting irrationally’ in fine and fee pricing Legal Meta has challenged the UK regulator in court over how it calculates fees and fines under the UK’s online safety law, as it argued the methods are disproportionate and unlawful. The tech giant has questioned the media regulator, Ofcom, over its definition of ‘qualifying worldwide revenue’, which it uses to calculate financial penalties and fees [...]
Royal Mail to cut thousands of jobs in sweeping overhaul Business Royal Mail will cut as many as 2,500 jobs as part of a root-and-branch overhaul that the ailing postal service hopes will reduce its overheads at a time of dwindling usage and scrutiny over its delivery performance. The group, which was bought off the London Stock Exchange by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in 2024, unveiled [...]
Meta court battle will not delay Instagram probe, Ofcom says October 6, 2026 Meta’s legal challenge against Ofcom has not delayed the regulator’s separate investigation into Instagram, Ofcom has told City AM. The watchdog said the ongoing English High Court proceedings had “not impacted the timing” of its decision to investigate whether Meta broke UK online safety rules when it launched Instagram Instants. The comments come as Meta, [...]
Ofcom blocks ‘unfair’ Openreach pricing scheme September 28, 2026 The communications regulator has blocked Openreach’s new pricing scheme, arguing the proposed charges were “unfair” and granted it an unfair advantage over competitors. Ofcom has ordered Openreach, a fibre broadband network, to withdraw its ‘Incremental New to Openreach Offer’. The offer would have provided internet service providers (ISPs) a monthly discount for bringing new full-fibre [...]
Tiktok to pay £12.7m UK child privacy fine despite disputing watchdog findings September 24, 2026 Tiktok will pay a £12.7m UK fine over its handling of children’s data after abandoning a three-year legal challenge, despite maintaining that it disagrees with the privacy watchdog’s findings. The social media giant has withdrawn its appeal against a penalty imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2023, making the fine final. A Tiktok [...]
‘Underwhelmed’: Ofcom admits online safety impact falling short as full roll-out slips to 2027 September 15, 2026 Britain’s online safety watchdog has admitted its flagship rules have so far had an “underwhelming” impact on children’s safety, as it revealed the Online Safety Act will not be fully operational until the middle of 2027 and warned the government’s incoming social media ban could stretch its resources. Ofcom officials faced a grilling from peers [...]
‘Scale is survival’: UK broadcasters race to merge as streaming giants squeeze revenues July 29, 2026 British broadcasters are turning to mergers as television revenues come under pressure from streaming services, YouTube and online ads, according to Ofcom. The media regulator’s annual Media Nations report found commercial broadcaster revenues fell from £4.98bn to £4.83bn in 2025, despite the wider TV and online video market growing seven per cent to £18.4bn. Growth [...]
BT Openreach told to pull ‘unfair’ broadband discount July 28, 2026 Ofcom has moved to block a heavily discounted Openreach broadband offer after warning it could squeeze rival fibre networks out of the market, in the regulator’s first attempt to stop a commercial deal from BT’s network arm. The telecoms watchdog said Openreach’s proposed discount for internet providers signing up new full-fibre customers was “not fair [...]
Tiktok ‘confident’ ahead of Ofcom child safety probe July 16, 2026 Tiktok has insisted it is “confident” it complies with the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) after Ofcom launched an investigation into whether the platform is doing enough to stop children accessing harmful content. The watchdog is looking into whether Tiktok’s age verifictions meet the legal requirement to be “highly effective” at identifying child users after [...]