Ofcom opens investigation into Meta over Instagram Instants risk checks
The UK regulator will test whether Meta assessed risks to children before launching the disappearing-photo feature in May.
October 6, 2026 - 10:16 am
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Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into Meta over Instagram’s Instants feature, the UK regulator said on Tuesday. It will check whether Meta broke the Online Safety Act by failing to assess the feature’s risks before launch.
Meta launched Instants in May. The feature lets Instagram users share posts that vanish after they’re seen.
Ofcom will consider two assessments required by law: one for illegal content and another for risks to children. Ofcom wants to know whether Meta completed both properly before the feature went live.
Under the Act, platforms must update their risk checks before any significant change to how their service works. Earlier this year, Ofcom warned the largest platforms that skipping this step could lead to enforcement.
“Our online safety laws are clear – significant changes to platforms must be risk assessed before they’re launched,” said George Lusty, Ofcom’s director of enforcement.
Lusty compared the duty to testing a new car before it goes on sale. He emphasized that safety had to be built into a product from the start, and that the regulator would act where it had doubts about compliance.
Ofcom will first gather and study evidence. If it finds a likely breach, it will issue a provisional decision, and Meta can respond in full before a final ruling. A breach finding could result in a fine of up to £18m or 10% of Meta’s qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.
Meta, for its part, told Reuters that it takes its duties under the Act seriously. The company stated it carried out a risk review, briefed Ofcom about Instants several times before launch, and will cooperate. It also highlighted features designed to protect younger users, such as blocking screenshots, resharing, and forwarding, having no public feed, and enabling Teen Account protections by default.
Separately, Meta has brought a case against Ofcom over parts of the Act, including its information demands and fees. Instagram also faces pressure over young users in the US. In Tennessee, the state has told a jury that Meta knew Instagram harmed teens.