Meta faces probe over Instagram feature that could impact user safety
Mark Zuckerberg’s tech giant may have skipped risk assessment.
Meta faces probe over Instagram Instants.
Follow us
- Ofcom is investigating whether Meta assessed risks before launching Instagram Instants in the UK.
- UK rules require platforms to test major design changes before release.
- Meta says it analyzed the feature and contacted Ofcom before launch.
- A breach can bring fines of up to 10% of global revenue.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Meta is under investigation for a possible breach of the United Kingdom’s digital safety regulations, Ofcom, the country’s communications watchdog, has announced.
According to Ofcom, Meta might have failed to comply with its duties under the Online Safety Act by “not adequately assessing the risks posed by Instagram Instants before it launched.”
Under the regulations, social media firms must conduct risk assessments before significantly updating their design or operation and ensure that any new product or feature doesn’t display illegal content.
Ofcom is investigating whether Meta truly did so when it launched the Snapchat-style feature, where content shared by users disappears after it’s been viewed, on Instagram in May 2026.
This is a vital step that tech firms must take to protect their users. You wouldn’t launch a new car without testing it properly, and it’s the same for online service,George Lusty, Director of Enforcement at Ofcom, said in a statement.
“Safety by design must be built in, not bolted on, and today’s investigation shows we’ll take action where we have concerns that providers are failing to comply.”
Earlier this year, Ofcom warned major platforms that they could face enforcement action if they did not assess the risks of significant changes before deploying them. Breaching the Online Safety Act can result in a fine of up to 10% of a company’s global revenue.
The opening of an investigation doesn’t mean that Ofcom has reached any conclusion. Meta says the company did everything by the book.
Has your password leaked?
The company claims it had conducted a risk analysis of Instagram Instants, and was in contact with Ofcom before launching the feature. The latter carries protections such as blocking forwarding, Meta added.
Ofcom is already probing whether Meta breached UK law by failing to comply with a request for information related to its WhatsApp platform.
Mark Zuckerberg’s company, along with TikTok and Elon Musk’s X, is challenging Ofcom in court over the Online Safety Act's allegedly overly ambitious reach.
Meta, TikTok, and X say the Ofcom notices create unprecedented regulatory burdens, with one witness statement submitted by X describing it as “the most burdensome information request X has received from any regulator in any jurisdiction.”
