Companies that breach safety rules can face fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue or $23.7 million
A 3D-printed Meta logo and word “AI” are seen in this illustration created on July 20, 2026. — REUTERS
A UK High Court will hold a hearing Tuesday on a challenge brought by Meta, the tech giant that owns Facebook and Instagram, over fees and potential fines introduced under the country’s Online Safety Act.
Meta is challenging Ofcom in the High Court, claiming that the UK media regulator acted unlawfully, specifically regarding their definition of “qualifying worldwide revenue,” which is introduced under the act.
The law, which came into force last year, introduced protections against harmful online content, with Ofcom’s operating costs for carrying out its online safety work funded by tech firms.
Under regulations introduced in September 2025, the fees are based on a company’s qualifying worldwide revenue and apply to firms earning more than £250 million a year.
Meta explicitly argues that Ofcom’s calculation methods are disproportionate and unlawful, while Ofcom said it would “robustly defend” its position.
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The BBC reported in May that lawyers acting for Meta argued that the regulations should be reconsidered by the regulator.
Monica Carss-Frisk KC, for the tech giant, has said in court documents that Ofcom’s approach is “troubling” and leads to “a handful of companies such as Meta bearing the vast majority of Ofcom’s costs, despite the act making clear that it is concerned with a wide range of internet services offered in the UK.”
Under the Online Safety Act, firms found to have breached safety rules can face fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue or £18 million ($23.7 million), whichever is greater.
Meanwhile, a senior director at the regulator told a committee in the House of Lords earlier this year that Ofcom was “operating in a highly litigious environment,” including facing two actions by Meta and others from “a raft of services” bringing judicial reviews against the body for trying to collect data.
“We absolutely are looking to drive change in the best way we can,” Oliver Griffiths, the Ofcom group director for online safety, told peers hearing evidence about the Online Safety Act.
