Regulators Launch Formal Investigation into Meta Over Online Safety Compliance

The UK communications regulator has launched a formal investigation into Meta regarding the launch of the "Instants" feature on Instagram. The inquiry focuses on whether the company failed to conduct mandatory risk assessments concerning illegal content and child safety prior to the feature's deployment in May.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms are legally required to perform and update risk assessments for significant product changes. The regulator asserts that "safety by design" is a statutory obligation, and failure to assess risks before launch constitutes a potential breach of these duties.

Meta maintains that it conducted the necessary risk analyses and engaged with the regulator prior to the feature's release. The company has pledged to cooperate with the investigation while continuing its broader legal challenge against the regulator’s enforcement powers and information-gathering requirements under the Act.

This investigation occurs amid ongoing judicial reviews involving major technology firms contesting the scope of the regulator's authority. The outcome of this probe may set a precedent for how digital platforms must document and demonstrate safety compliance for ephemeral content features.