A lawyer representing 4chan says the online message board will not pay a proposed fine issued by UK regulator Ofcom as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act.
Preston Byrne, managing partner of Byrne & Storm, told the BBC that Ofcom had provisionally imposed a £20,000 penalty, with daily fines to follow until 4chan complied. He argued the regulator’s notices “create no legal obligations in the United States” and described the investigation as part of an “illegal campaign of harassment” against US tech firms.
Ofcom opened an investigation into whether 4chan had met its obligations under the act, which requires platforms to protect users from illegal content. In August, the regulator said it issued the site a provisional notice of contravention for failing to comply with two requests for information.
Legal team pushes back
4chan’s legal team, Byrne & Storm, and Coleman Law, also released a statement on X, arguing that as a US-based company, the site is protected under American law.
They warned that US courts would not enforce “foreign penal fines or censorship codes” and said they were prepared to seek relief in federal court.
Ofcom maintains that the Online Safety Act requires platforms to protect UK-based users, regardless of where a service is incorporated.
The Online Safety Act went into effect in the UK back in July, and since then, it has led to quite a few platforms expanding on their age verification.
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