Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether Meta failed to properly evaluate the potential safety risks of a new Instagram feature that allows
users to send content that disappears after it has been viewed.
The investigation centres on Instagram Instants, introduced by Meta in May. The feature enables users to share photos and other content designed to vanish after being opened, raising questions about how effectively platforms can detect, prevent and investigate harmful activity involving disappearing material.
Ofcom is examining whether Meta carried out the risk assessments required under the UK's Online Safety Act before introducing the feature. The regulator's investigation could ultimately determine whether the company breached its statutory obligations, although opening an investigation does not mean that Meta has been found to have violated the law.
Growing scrutiny of Meta in Britain
The probe comes as relations between Meta and the UK authorities become increasingly contentious. Ofcom has been given extensive powers under the Online Safety Act, which places legal duties on major social-media platforms to identify and reduce risks to users, with particular emphasis on protecting children and young people.
The regulator says its online-safety duties have been in force since March 2025 and that it is supervising more than 100,000 services. Ofcom has warned that some of the largest technology companies are still not doing enough to meet the safety standards required by British law.
Meta has already faced several regulatory disputes with Ofcom this year. In January, the regulator opened a separate investigation into whether Meta had provided complete and accurate information in response to statutory requests concerning its WhatsApp Business operations.
The company has also challenged Ofcom's demands for detailed information about how its platforms moderate harmful content. Meta, alongside TikTok and X, is contesting the scale of data requests issued by the regulator under the Online Safety Act, arguing that some of the information sought is excessively broad and burdensome. Ofcom maintains that such data is necessary to determine whether the new regulatory framework is working effectively.
Government putting pressure on social-media companies
The investigation also fits into a broader effort by the UK government to tighten controls over children's use of social media.
In September, the government announced plans to ban children under 16 from using certain social-media platforms, including Instagram, with the new restrictions expected to take effect in spring 2027. The government is also planning stronger age-verification requirements and restrictions on potentially harmful functions, such as livestreaming and contact between children and strangers.
The government has maintained regular contact with Meta as part of this policy. Parliamentary records show that ministers have met the company to discuss online safety and children's wellbeing, while the government has continued to engage with major technology platforms over harmful content and the protection of younger users. Вопросы и заявления парламента
The relationship is therefore increasingly characterised by both cooperation and confrontation. Government ministers and Meta continue to engage on technology, artificial intelligence and online safety, but the company is simultaneously challenging aspects of Ofcom's regulatory approach in court.
In September, Meta launched another legal challenge against Ofcom concerning the classification of Instagram and WhatsApp under the Online Safety Act. The designation brings additional obligations, including requirements relating to illegal content and fraudulent advertising. Meta has argued that some of the rules are inappropriate for services that include private messaging.
Why the Instants investigation matters
Ofcom's latest investigation could have wider implications for how technology companies introduce new features in Britain. Under the UK's regulatory model, platforms are expected to consider potential harms before deploying services or functions that could expose users—particularly children—to additional risks.
Ofcom has said that investigations can lead to financial penalties and, in certain circumstances, measures capable of disrupting a service. The regulator has already imposed more than £6 million in fines across its online-safety work.
For Meta, the Instants case adds another layer to an increasingly complex regulatory relationship with the UK. The company remains one of the most important technology businesses operating in Britain, but its Instagram and Facebook platforms are now subject to substantially greater scrutiny than before the Online Safety Act came into force.
The investigation will now focus on Meta's risk-assessment process and whether the company took adequate steps to identify and mitigate potential harms associated with Instagram Instants before making the feature available to users. Photo by Nokia621, Wikimedia commons.
