Summary
Ofcom, the UK’s communication regulator, is investigating Meta to see if it broke online safety rules when it launched Instagram’s new "Instants" feature. Ofcom is checking if Meta did proper risk assessments, especially for illegal content and child safety, before releasing this feature that lets users share disappearing photos.Key Facts
- Meta launched Instagram Instants in May, which lets users send photos that disappear after being viewed.
- Instants can be shared with close friends or mutual followers only.
- Ofcom says Meta may have failed to properly assess risks related to illegal content and children's safety as required by the UK’s Online Safety Act.
- Meta claims it conducted risk analysis and informed Ofcom before launching the feature.
- Instagram Instants includes protections like blocking screenshots, reshare, or forwarding for Teen Accounts.
- Disappearing photo features like Instants have been viewed as potential risks for child users in the past.
- Ofcom will investigate if Meta's risk assessments were suitable and sufficient.
- Meta, TikTok, and X are currently challenging Ofcom’s enforcement powers in court.
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