Ofcom has provisionally decided to impose a 20,000 fine on 4chan, with daily penalties for continued non-compliance. 4chan's lawyer, Preston Byrne of Byrne & Storm, says the site will not pay because Ofcom's notices create no legal obligations in the United States and the regulator's actions amount to an illegal campaign of harassment against US tech firms. Ofcom's investigation is examining whether 4chan complies with the UK's Online Safety Act, including protections against illegal content. 4chan is a US-incorporated company and its counsel asserts First Amendment protections and says American courts will not enforce foreign penal fines, with plans to seek relief in US federal court if necessary.
A lawyer representing the online message board 4chan says it won't pay a proposed fine by the UK's media regulator as it enforces the Online Safety Act. According to Preston Byrne, managing partner of law firm Byrne & Storm, Ofcom has provisionally decided to impose a 20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter" for as long as the site fails to comply with its request.
Ofcom began investigating 4chan over whether it was complying with its obligations under the UK's Online Safety Act. Then in August, it said it had issued 4chan with "a provisional notice of contravention" for failing to comply with two requests for information. Ofcom said its investigation would examine whether the message board was complying with the act, including requirements to protect its users from illegal content.
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