UK regulator fines Meta £450,000 over WhatsApp Business information inadequacies

UK communications regulator Ofcom fined Meta £450,000 ($597,000) on Thursday for repeatedly providing incorrect information about WhatsApp Business during a market review. The fine comes as Meta is already involved in another dispute with the regulator.

The fine comes after Ofcom looked into business text messaging services in 2025. Companies use these services to send customers messages like verification codes and alerts.

Ofcom wanted to learn more about the messaging options businesses could use. It asked Meta how many messages were sent through WhatsApp for Business and how much money the service made, according to the South China Morning Post.

However, Meta gave wrong information several times during the review, the South China Morning Post reported.

Five breaches across two inquiries

Meta took up to 11 months to correct some of the mistakes. Ofcom found that the company had broken five requirements under the UK Communications Act by giving wrong or incomplete information during two investigations.

Ofcom also cut the original fine by 25% to £450,000. This was because Meta admitted it had broken the rules and did not benefit from the mistakes, according to the South China Morning Post.

Meta claimed it takes following the rules seriously and worked fully with Ofcom during the investigation.

Not Meta’s only dispute with Ofcom

This is not Meta’s first recent dispute with Ofcom. In October, Meta, TikTok and X lost a court case over how much information Ofcom could ask them to share under the UK’s online safety rules, according to The News International.

The £450,000 fine amount is small compared with Meta’s revenue, but it sends a clear message. Ofcom is ready to fine big tech companies not only for how they treat users, but also for giving the regulator wrong information.