Ofcom probes Meta over safety checks for Instagram 'Instants' feature

Ofcom has opened an investigation into Meta over whether the company carried out required safety checks before launching a Snapchat-style feature on Instagram called Instants.

The regulator is examining whether Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg and valued at about $1.9tn (£1.4tn) according to the report, met the Online Safety Act's obligations to assess risks that new products might display illegal material or be accessible to children. Ofcom's review will focus on whether adequate risk assessments were performed in advance of the feature's release.

Why the probe matters

The Online Safety Act places duties on major platforms to identify and mitigate risks arising from services that could harm users, including exposing them to illegal content or enabling access by under‑18s. Ofcom's investigation into Instants is part of the regulator's broader role enforcing those requirements and ensuring technology companies take steps to protect users when they roll out new functionality.

The Instants feature has been described as similar to Snapchat's ephemeral sharing format. Ofcom's inquiry seeks to determine if Meta fulfilled the OSA's procedural checks and whether any potential failings require further action by the regulator.

What is clear from the report is limited

Details released so far are limited to Ofcom's decision to investigate whether Meta carried out adequate checks. The report does not set out findings from the investigation nor indicate any enforcement outcome. Meta has not been reported as admitting any breach or offering a public response in the material summarised here.

Next steps

Ofcom's probe will establish whether the company complied with the statutory obligations set out in the Online Safety Act when introducing Instants. Depending on what Ofcom finds, the regulator has powers under the act to require changes, impose fines or take other regulatory action, though the report does not detail which measures might be pursued.

The investigation highlights regulators' scrutiny of major technology platforms as they introduce features that could affect vulnerable users, and how the Online Safety Act is being applied to new product launches.