Britain’s communications watchdog Ofcom has formally launched a probe into whether Meta was aware of the risks of its Instagram Instants service when it was launched.
Instants is an application that will enable Instagram users to post content that will vanish after it is viewed. The feature was added in May, and is currently being tested under the Online Safety Act of Britain.
Ofcom will review if Meta conducted an “appropriate and adequate” risk assessment for illegal content and children’s risks prior to its launch of the feature.
The platforms face an inquiry regarding safety risks before any huge alterations are made to their services, said Ofcom director of enforcement George Lusty. He pointed out that the safety measures ought to be built in from the outset and not added on after the fact.
This is Ofcom’s first formal investigation to be launched under theOnline Safety Actinto Meta under the Act. When referring to the risks of Instants, the regulator said it would look at whether or not Meta fulfilled its legal duties.
Meta takes its duties under the Online Safety Act “very seriously,” he stated. Meta has done a “risk analysis” and spoken to Ofcom about it multiple times prior to it launching, a company spokesperson said.
The company also ushered in security features into Instants, such as limitations on screenshots, resharing and forward messages. Meta indicated the feature wasn’t a public feed and noted that safeguards given with Teen Accounts are automatically implemented.
Meta indicated that it will assist Ofcom in its investigation.
In the past, Ofcom has initiated a number of investigations based on the Online Safety Act, including one on an online suicide discussion forum, websites with pornography and 4chan and file sharing sites believed to be used to spread images of child sexual abuse.
The Online Safety Act 2023 introduces measures into UK laws to tackle illegal content and protect children on social media platforms, search engines and adult content websites. The Meta investigation will decide if the company did meet those requirements when launching Instagram Instants.