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Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom has fined Meta £450,000 for repeatedly submitting inaccurate information about its WhatsApp Business service during a review of the country’s commercial messaging market.
The regulator found that the technology company breached five statutory information requirements under the UK’s Communications Act 2003. Some inaccuracies remained unresolved for as long as 11 months, forcing officials to seek clarifications and revise previously published information.
The penalty comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of technology companies and the information they provide to authorities. Meta accepted responsibility for the violations and agreed to settle the investigation, securing a reduction from the original £600,000 penalty.
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Ofcom Identifies Five Violations Across Two Information Requests
The investigation originated from Ofcom’s efforts to understand Britain’s business messaging market, including the growing competition between traditional SMS services and internet-based platforms such as WhatsApp.
The regulator issued formal information requests to Meta on 31 July 2024 and 19 June 2025.
These requests sought information about WhatsApp Business, including the number of commercial conversations handled through the platform and the revenue generated from those services.
Ofcom also requested information about business text messaging services purchased by Meta for use across its social media platforms.
The information covered different reporting periods between April 2021 and March 2025.
However, the regulator subsequently discovered inaccuracies in the company’s submissions.
Ofcom opened a formal investigation on 23 January 2026 to establish whether Meta had fulfilled its legal obligations.
Under Section 135 of the Communications Act 2003, companies receiving statutory information requests must provide complete and accurate information within the specified period and in the required format.
The investigation ultimately identified five separate violations arising from Meta’s responses to the two notices.
Incorrect Figures Forced Regulator To Revise Market Analysis
The inaccuracies were particularly significant because Ofcom was examining how businesses communicate with customers and whether alternative messaging platforms were creating meaningful competition for traditional SMS providers.
Businesses routinely use digital messaging services to send delivery updates, appointment reminders, payment notifications and customer-service communications.
WhatsApp Business provides an internet-based alternative to conventional text messaging, allowing companies to communicate with customers through conversations that can include documents, images and interactive features.
Understanding the volume and commercial value of these services helps regulators assess competition and determine whether existing telecommunications rules remain appropriate.
Inaccurate figures can distort that assessment.
For example, overstating the number of business conversations handled by an alternative messaging platform could make it appear more competitive than it actually is.
Conversely, understating activity could create an inaccurate impression that conventional messaging providers face limited competition.
Ofcom’s published market-review documents show that it withdrew an earlier correction note after Meta reported additional errors involving WhatsApp Business conversation volumes. A replacement correction was published in September 2025.
The regulator said the repeated inaccuracies required additional work to identify errors, obtain clarification and consolidate corrected information.
Meta Admits Liability And Secures Reduction In Fine
Ofcom initially determined that a financial penalty of £600,000 was appropriate.
The regulator subsequently reduced the amount by 25% to £450,000 after Meta admitted full liability and agreed to settle the investigation.
Ofcom said the settlement reduced the resources required to complete the enforcement process.
The regulator also considered the circumstances of the violations, including their duration and Meta’s previous compliance record.
It noted that the company had not previously been found in breach of Section 135 of the Communications Act.
The investigation did not establish that Meta obtained financial benefits from submitting inaccurate information.
Responding to the penalty, Meta said it took its regulatory responsibilities seriously and had cooperated fully with Ofcom’s investigation.
The enforcement action concerns inaccurate corporate reporting. It does not establish that WhatsApp users’ private messages were exposed or that customer information was stolen.
Earlier Legal Dispute Highlights Growing Regulatory Pressure
The latest penalty follows a separate legal confrontation between Ofcom and major technology companies over information disclosure.
On 30 October 2026, London’s High Court rejected a challenge brought by Meta, TikTok and X against information requests issued under Britain’s Online Safety Act 2023.
The companies had questioned the scope of the regulator’s demands, which included detailed information about content moderation and users’ exposure to harmful material.
The court upheld Ofcom’s authority to issue the disputed notices.
That case involved a different legal framework from the WhatsApp Business investigation. However, both developments highlight the growing importance of reliable corporate information in digital regulation.
For technology companies operating across multiple markets, compliance increasingly requires more than maintaining secure platforms. Businesses must also establish internal processes capable of producing accurate, verifiable information when regulators request it.
What This Means For You:
Businesses using WhatsApp Business do not need to change their account settings because of this fine, which concerns corporate reporting rather than customer security. Companies responding to regulatory requests should independently verify their data, maintain supporting records and correct identified errors promptly.
