UK regulator fines Meta £450,000 over WhatsApp Business data

Britain’s media regulator Ofcom fined Meta £450,000 (about $600,000) on 12 November for providing inaccurate WhatsApp Business information requested for a telecoms market review.

Ofcom had sought messaging volumes and revenues in 2025 as part of a review of the market for bulk business text messages, intended to help it understand the services available to businesses.

Inaccuracies and settlement

Ofcom concluded that Meta failed to provide complete and accurate information across two requests, breaching 5 separate requirements under Britain’s Communications Act. The regulator said Meta supplied inaccurate information repeatedly, and some errors remained unresolved for up to 11 months before corrected data was submitted. Ofcom opened its investigation in January 2026.

The initial £600,000 penalty was reduced by 25% because Meta accepted liability, agreed to settle and did not benefit from supplying inaccurate information, Reuters said. Meta said it took its regulatory obligations seriously and had cooperated fully with the investigation.

In a separate case in October, Meta, TikTok and X lost a legal challenge against Ofcom over information requests made under Britain’s online safety regime.