Overview

• Ofcom opened a formal probe on June 10 and on August 13 issued a provisional notice of contravention after 4chan failed to answer statutory information requests.
• 4chan’s lawyers say the site is a Delaware-incorporated company with no UK establishment and argue U.S. courts will not enforce foreign penal fines or censorship codes.
• Preston Byrne of Byrne & Storm says 4chan will not pay and plans to seek relief in U.S. federal court, framing Ofcom’s actions as unlawful against American firms.
• The legal team publicly urged the Trump administration to use diplomatic and legal levers to shield U.S. companies from what it calls extraterritorial censorship mandates.
• FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson warned major tech firms that censoring Americans to comply with foreign laws, including the UK’s Online Safety Act, may violate U.S. law, while experts note Ofcom can pursue UK-focused disruption such as search delisting, payment blocks or ISP blocking.