Ofcom opens an OSA investigation into Meta over Instagram Instants in the UK; Meta says it "briefed Ofcom about this feature" several times before its May debut

Your Instagram messages can now disappear after a single view, and Meta may face significant penalties if its safety checks were insufficient.

Ofcom, the UK's communications watchdog, has launched an investigation into Meta concerning its new Instagram feature, "Instants." The investigation will determine if Meta violated the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA) by failing to conduct an adequate risk assessment before launching the disappearing-message feature. Social media companies are legally required to perform such assessments for significant service changes. A breach of the OSA could result in a formal warning or a fine up to 10% of a company's global revenue. Meta stated it had discussed the feature with Ofcom multiple times prior to its May launch and implemented safeguards, including blocking forwarding and utilizing default teen account settings. This investigation is one of several actions Ofcom is taking against Meta regarding its compliance with the OSA, including a separate probe into WhatsApp and legal challenges from Meta over the Act's regulations and fee structures.

This investigation signals that regulators are actively scrutinizing new feature rollouts under the Online Safety Act, focusing on pre-launch risk assessments. Companies must now demonstrate robust safety-by-design principles, moving beyond post-launch fixes. The outcome could set a precedent for how platform updates are vetted, potentially impacting the speed and nature of feature development across the social media landscape.

Meta's proactive engagement with Ofcom and the subsequent investigation highlight the complex and contentious relationship between tech giants and regulatory bodies enforcing new digital safety laws. The company's legal challenges against the OSA indicate a broader industry pushback against stringent compliance requirements, suggesting ongoing friction over data access, categorization, and financial oversight.