Why was 4Chan fined by the United Kingdom? Online message board rejects $26,000 penalty under Online Safety Act

Online message board platform 4Chan is currently being fined $26,000 for failing to adhere to the Online Safety Act in the UK, BBC reported. These measures are set by Ofcom, a regulatory body that works in conjunction with Parliament, which reportedly issued 4Chan with a provisional notice of contravention for failing to comply with two requests for information.

Preston Byrne of Byrne & Storm, who serves as 4Chan’s legal counsel, addressed the terms of a £20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter" for as long as the site fails to comply with its request:

"4chan has broken no laws in the United States - my client will not pay any penalty."

Byrne went on to label the investigation as part of an “illegal campaign of harassment” against US firms in the tech space.

4Chan strikes back at claims of United Kingdom Online Safety Act breach

Following their initial statement, 4Chan’s legal team stated on X. They further elaborated that since 4Chan was an American company, it should be protected against any UK laws:

"American businesses do not surrender their First Amendment rights because a foreign bureaucrat sends them an email. Under settled principles of US law, American courts will not enforce foreign penal fines or censorship codes. If necessary, we will seek appropriate relief in US federal court to confirm these principles."

If 4Chan does prevail against any possible charges stemming from within the United States, Ofcom has other avenues to explore to make matters tough for the platform and its users in the UK.

As per Emma Drake (partner of online safety and privacy at law firm Bird and Bird):

"Ofcom can instead ask a court to order other services to disrupt a provider's UK business, such as requiring a service's removal from search results or blocking of UK payments."

She added:

"If Ofcom doesn't think this will be enough to prevent significant harm, it can even ask that ISPs be ordered to block UK access."

4Chan has been a lightning rod for controversy since its inception in 2003. As users remain anonymous on the platform, polarizing content is often shared, leading to serious questions about proposed regulations being established on the platform. 2channel's founder, Hiroyuki Nishimura, has owned the platform since 2015, though it was founded by Christopher Poole.

For more on this developing story or other news, check out SoapCentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback