Facebook parent Meta, TikTok and X are challenging Ofcom over its information requests under the Online Safety Act this week, in a hearing that began on Monday.

The hearing is one of the first as Ofcom gradually implements the provisions of the 2023 law, and follows information notices the regulator issued in February.

In the notices, Ofcom requested detailed content moderation metrics from the three companies, including how many posts were removed or hidden and how many users were exposed to harmful content.

The three companies complained that this constitutes an unprecedented regulatory burden.

A statement submitted by X on Monday described Ofcom’s actions as the most burdensome request it has ever received.

Meta said in court filings that Ofcom asked for “wide-ranging and granular information” on seven of its services, without stating the regulatory purpose of the data.

TikTok said the regulator bypassed an existing monitoring regime with its own safeguards, and was seeking information not covered by the law’s transparency provisions.

Data requests

Ofcom said the data was necessary for it to assess the Act’s effectiveness, and had reduced its demands before issuing them.

In a statement, it attributed the complaints to the fact that the social media industry has been “unregulated and unaccountable for more than 20 years”.

The hearing continues through Wednesday, with Meta set to return next week for a separate challenge over Ofcom’s interpretation of the Act’s fees and penalties.