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Ofcom Issues First Online Safety Act Fine to 4chan, With £100-a-Day Penalties

The regulator says the forum ignored legally binding requests during an ongoing probe into illegal harms.

Overview

  • Ofcom levied a £20,000 penalty after 4chan failed to provide its illegal harms risk assessment and details of its qualifying worldwide revenue.
  • A £100 daily charge begins Tuesday for up to 60 days or until 4chan supplies the requested information.
  • The investigation remains open, and Ofcom can ask UK internet providers to block access if noncompliance persists.
  • 4chan has filed a U.S. lawsuit contesting Ofcom’s reach under the law, with its attorney publicly dismissing the fine.
  • Ofcom advanced parallel enforcement, issuing provisional actions against Im.ge and AVS Group as other services adopted CSAM detection tools or geo‑blocked UK users.