Tech giants face tougher Ofcom demands after High Court ruling Tech Meta, Tiktok and X will face a tougher battle resisting Ofcom’s demands for online safety data after the High Court ruled that tech giants must provide detailed evidence of compliance costs in order to challenge the regulator’s requests. The judgment, handed down on Friday, strengthens Ofcom’s ability to demand information from social media platforms even [...]
Meta and Tiktok lose High Court battle against Ofcom’s regulatory data demands Legal The High Court has upheld the media watchdog Ofcom’s powers to harvest retroactive safety data from tech giants. In February, Ofcom issued formal information notices to major tech platforms, including Meta, Tiktok, and X, requiring them to share detailed data on content and user exposure to harmful material under the Online Safety Act. Meta, Tiktok, [...]
Millions face ID checks under UK social media ban as Ofcom warns of loopholes Tech Millions of British social media users could be forced to verify their age using passports or facial scans under new proposals from Ofcom, as the regulator prepares to enforce the government’s ban on under-16s. The watchdog on Thursday identified four methods it considers sufficiently reliable to determine whether users are aged 16 or over, ahead [...]
Amazon and Tiktok accused of dodging MP scrutiny over online shopping safety October 28, 2026 Amazon and Tiktok have been accused of dodging parliamentary scrutiny over consumer safety, after MPs raised concerns about the tech giants’ reluctance to appear before a committee hearing next week. Liam Byrne, chair of the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) Committee, wrote to senior executives at both companies on Tuesday, warning that their unwillingness [...]
Ofcom warns X over illegal content despite moderation improvements October 14, 2026 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 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, [...]
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 [...]
TikTok loses court battle over £12.7m child privacy fine August 5, 2026 TikTok has lost an appeal against a £12.7m fine from the UK’s data protection regulator for illegally processing the data of over 1.4m children under the age of 13. The watchdog hit TikTok with the penalty in April 2023 for breaching the UK’s data protection law, the GDPR, for unlawfully processing the data of children [...]
David Brent was supposed to be a satire, now he looks like a model for political leaders August 5, 2026 Attention-seeking, self-absorbed and desperate to be liked, David Brent was meant to embody everything a leader should not be – but today’s media landscape rewards the very qualities Ricky Gervais satirised, says Tim Focas A Tiktok clip has gone viral for comparing Andy Burnham to David Brent. His cheesy mannerisms, dad dancing and guitar playing [...]
Tiktok pledges three-stage age checks as it pilots alcohol sales July 22, 2026 Tiktok will strictly enforce age checks to block under-18s from buying or even viewing alcohol on Tiktok Shop, City AM understands, as it expands into one of retail’s most tightly regulated categories. The social media giant said its ecommerce platform is strictly for adults and that alcohol sales are being piloted only with a small [...]