UK fines 4Chan over online safety compliance

The United Kingdom has imposed a £20,000 (about $26,000) fine on 4Chan in an attempt to clamp down on platforms obstructing Online Safety Act (OSA) investigations. UK telecommunications regulator Ofcom says The fine was issued after the controversial social media site ignored “legally binding information requests” relating to global revenues and illegal harm risk assessments.

Starting tomorrow, 4Chan also faces a daily fine of £100 (about $133) for 60 days or until 4Chan complies with the information requests, up to a maximum of £6,000 (about $8,000). “Today sends a clear message that any service that blatantly fails to engage with Ofcom and its duties under the Online Safety Act can expect to face tough enforcement action,” Ofcom enforcement director Susan Cater said in a statement. The investigation is still ongoing, and these mid-investigation fines are well below the maximum £18 million (about $24 million) of penalties that could be enforced under the OSA.

Ofcom It launched an OSA investigation into 4Chan In June, after complaints about “potentially illegal content and activity” hosted by the platform. 4Chan responded in August By filing a federal lawsuit against the UK government, arguing that Ofcom is exceeding its legal authority by trying to apply British law to US-based companies.