UK Ofcom fines 4chan

UK Ofcom Fines 4chan £20,000 Under Online Safety Act, Platform Refuses to Pay

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UK Ofcom Fines 4chan £20,000 Under Online Safety Act, Platform Refuses to Pay — UK Ofcom fines 4chan is compelled by the regulator’s latest ruling, which 4chan strongly disputes.

A lawyer for 4chan has affirmed that the platform will not pay a provisional £20,000 fine issued by the UK’s media regulator, Ofcom. The penalty, along with daily fees for ongoing non-compliance, stems from 4chan’s failure to respond to two requests for information under the UK’s Online Safety Act.

Preston Byrne, a First Amendment attorney from Byrne & Storm, argued that Ofcom’s notices “create no legal obligations in the United States.” He described the regulator’s probe as an “illegal campaign of harassment” targeting American tech firms. Byrne’s client, the online message board 4chan, remains defiant... Read complete content click link below

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The UK regulator initiated its investigation on June 10, 2025, amid concerns that 4chan did not perform mandated risk assessments for illegal content nor comply with information notices 0. A provisional notice of contravention was issued on August 13, 2025 1.

Byrne & Storm, alongside Coleman Law, announced via X that 4chan will not pay the imposed fine. They asserted that US law protects the platform and pledged to defend 4chan in US federal court. The lawyers have also reportedly briefed US authorities and urged the Trump administration to respond to what they deem “extraterritorial censorship mandates” 2.

Legal experts point out that enforcing penalties against offshore entities remains complex. According to Ofcom’s enforcement framework, if monetary penalties fail, the regulator can pursue further measures such as requiring removal from search results, blocking UK payments, or even seeking ISP-level blocking of the platform in the UK 3.

This clash plays out against the backdrop of the Online Safety Act’s broader rollout, launched in late July 2025. Ofcom is now empowered to impose substantial fines—up to 10% of a platform’s global revenue or £18 million—if services fail to protect users, especially children, from harmful or illegal content 4.

Critics argue that the Act’s expansive approach threatens free speech and privacy. Supporters counter that robust regulation is essential to safeguard vulnerable users in a digital age. The 4chan case now becomes a high-stakes test of the Act’s international reach and its intersections with US constitutional protections.

As Ofcom pushes forward, all eyes remain on how US courts may respond—and whether London and Washington’s standoff will reshape global norms around internet regulation.

Learn more about the Online Safety Act.

Explore legal perspectives on the Online Safety Act’s enforcement mechanisms.

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