CONNECT WITH US
Social Media

Social Media

Ofcom investigates Meta over Instagram Instants safety checks

The Guardian – Social Media logo

Published on

Add as a preferred source on Google
Ofcom investigates Meta over Instagram Instants safety checks

Watchdog examining whether company carried out adequate risk assessment as required by Online Safety Act

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is under investigation for a potential breach of the UK’s digital safety laws after launching a Snapchat-style feature on Instagram.

The UK’s communications watchdog, Ofcom, is investigating whether the $1.9tn (£1.4tn) company infringed the Online Safety Act (OSA) by failing to carry out adequate checks on whether its Instagram Instants product could show illegal content or be accessed by children.

Social media companies are required to carry out risk assessments before making significant changes to their service’s design or operation. Breaching the OSA carries a range of potential actions, from a formal warning to a fine of up to 10% of global revenue.

George Lusty, the director of enforcement at Ofcom, said risk assessments were a vital step in keeping tech platforms safe for users. “You wouldn’t launch a new car without testing it properly, and it’s the same for online services,” he said. “Safety by design must be built in, not bolted on, and today’s investigation shows we’ll take action where we have concerns that providers are failing to comply.”

Instagram’s Instants feature allows users to send images that disappear after viewing. The company said it had conducted a risk analysis of Instants and talked to Ofcom on a number of occasions before launching it. It said the feature carried protections such as blocking forwarding and included all the safeguards under its teen account settings , the default mode for under-18s on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.


Source link
Related Topics:Social Media

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We TheMorningPulse.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It's possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.