The dispute is largely centered on the Online Safety Act 2023, which was introduced to protect children from illegal or harmful content online.
Under the law, Ofcom has required the companies to provide detailed information on how they moderate content posted on their platforms. This includes data on the number of posts or messages that have been removed or restricted, as well as the number of users exposed to potentially harmful or concerning content.
The companies could face enforcement action if they fail to comply with the requirements, including fines of up to 10% of their global annual revenue.
The technology companies have argued that the requirements are excessively demanding.
X said the request was the most extensive demand for information it had ever received from a regulator anywhere in the world.
Meta, meanwhile, complained that Ofcom was requesting excessive and highly specific information about how seven of its different services operate, without providing a clear or sufficient explanation for why the information was needed.
Ofcom said the information was essential to assess whether the new regulations are working effectively.
A spokesperson for the regulator said it was seeking to establish rules for a technology sector that had operated for more than two decades without comprehensive regulation or accountability.
