The High Court in London has refused or dismissed every ground of a challenge by Meta, WhatsApp, X and TikTok to Ofcom's data demands under the Online Safety Act, ruling that the regulator need not have a specific task in mind before ordering a platform to hand over information.

Two High Court judges, Lord Justice Singh and Mrs Justice Collins Rice, gave judgment in London on October 30, rejecting the companies’ bid for a judicial review. The companies had challenged information notices Ofcom issued on February 10 under section 100 of the Act. The notices require data going back to January 1, 2024 on what content was removed or restricted, how fast, how many users saw it first and how appeals were handled, with deadlines running to March 2027. Most grounds were refused permission as not arguable; the proportionality ground was argued in full and rejected.

At paragraph 71, the judges wrote: "Furthermore, we reject the submission that there has to be a specific task that OFCOM has in mind before it can require information under s.100." The list of purposes in the Act is "non-exhaustive," they said, and some are "couched in language which is very broad," such as "carrying out research, or preparing a report, in relation to online safety matters." Ofcom must still act for a statutory purpose and the demand must still be proportionate, but the court found the companies' evidence on burden too thin.

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Meta said it was "disappointed with the court's decision" and that the information gathering "goes beyond what is necessary or proportionate." TikTok said it was "considering this judgment." X did not comment. Ofcom said Parliament had charged it with regulating "an industry that's been unaccountable for more than 20 years" and that "gathering information from companies is fundamental to our ability to do our job."

This was the first court test of Ofcom's information powers, the raw material for a regime that can fine platforms up to 10 per cent of global turnover for breaching their duties. A separate Meta challenge to how Ofcom calculates fees and fines was heard earlier in October and awaits judgment.

Lord Justice Singh became a High Court judge in October 2011 and a Lord Justice of Appeal in October 2017, and was president of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal until October 31, 2025. Mrs Justice Collins Rice became a High Court judge in 2020 after a civil service career that included serving as secretary to the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

The regulator that polices what Britons may post online now has a court ruling that it need not name a specific task before demanding the data.