Ofcom has opened an investigation into Meta over its Instagram Instants feature. The UK regulator wants to know if Meta followed online safety rules before launching it.
Instagram introduced Instants in May as a way to share quick photos with close friends. The images disappear after the recipient views them. However, Ofcom says Meta may not have completed the required safety checks before launch.
The investigation will examine whether Meta carried out a “suitable and sufficient illegal content risk assessment and children’s risk assessment”. UK online safety laws require major platforms to assess risks before making significant changes. They must also consider how new features could expose children to harmful content. This includes pornography, self-harm material, suicide content, abuse, hate and bullying.
Meta says it takes its legal duties seriously. A spokesperson said,
“We conducted a risk analysis and briefed Ofcom about this feature on a number of occasions before launching it.”
The company also said it would cooperate with the investigation. Ofcom enforcement director George Lusty stressed the importance of safety checks.
“Significant changes to platforms must be risk assessed before they’re launched,” he said.
Meanwhile, Instagram says Instants comes with several safety controls. Teen Accounts, for example, block screenshots, reshares and forwarding. Still, disappearing images have raised safety concerns on other social platforms. Ofcom says safety should come first, not after a feature launches.
The investigation also comes as Meta, TikTok and X challenge parts of Ofcom’s enforcement powers in court. For now, Ofcom’s probe will determine whether Meta broke its duties under the Online Safety Act.
