Popular message board 4Chan refuses to shell out $26,000 in fines under United Kingdom's Online Safety Act

Popular online message board platform 4Chan recently refused to pay a $26,000 fine issued under the UK's Online Safety Act. For those unfamiliar, the UK's regulatory body Ofcom initiated an investigation on 4Chan in June 2025 to determine whether the online discussion board was complying with its "obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023," which requires platforms to protect their users from illegal content.

The investigation was followed by "a provisional notice of contravention" in August, for failing to "comply with two requests for information."

"Ofcom is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing the provider has contravened its duties under section 102(8) of the Act to comply with two requests for information. We will consider any representations provided in response to this provisional notice before we make a final decision on this matter," Ofcom wrote.

In response, attorney Preston Byrne of Byrne & Storm shared a statement on behalf of their client on X on August 15, in response to "press reports indicating that U.K. Office of Communications, aka @Ofcom, "intends to fine our client."

Byrne & Storm, P.C. (@ByrneStorm) and Coleman Law, P.C. (@RonColeman) represent 4Chan.

We issue this statement on behalf of our client in response to press reports indicating that the U.K. Office of Communications, aka @Ofcom, intends to fine our client. pic.twitter.com/SVjmzlyuKK

— Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) August 15, 2025

Pointing at Ofcom's provisional notice under the Online Safety Act, Preston wrote that the UK's regulatory body imposed a £20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter."

In a statement to the BBC, published on August 22, he added that "Ofcom's notices create no legal obligations in the United States," and that their investigation was part of an "illegal campaign of harassment" against 4Chan.

"4chan has broken no laws in the United States - my client will not pay any penalty."

4Chan may seek "appropriate relief in US federal court"

Furthermore, in the aforementioned X post, Preston Byrne stated that 4chan is a U.S.-based company incorporated in Delaware with no establishments, assets, or operations in the UK, adding that any UK-imposed penalty against them would likely be challenged in the U.S. federal court.

"American businesses do not surrender their First Amendment rights because a foreign bureaucrat sends them an email. Under settled principles of US law, American courts will not enforce foreign penal fines or censorship codes. If necessary, we will seek appropriate relief in US federal court to confirm these principles," the statement adds.

The statement further noted that U.S. authorities have been "briefed on this matter." It also cited a report from The Telegraph published on July 30, stating that, despite UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer having been warned by the White House to cease targeting Americans with U.K. censorship codes, Ofcom continues its "illegal campaign of harassment."

"Despite these warnings, Ofcom continues its illegal campaign of harassment against American technology firms. A political solution to this matter is urgently required, and that solution must come from the highest levels of American government."

Taking regulatory actions against an offshore provider is "tricky," Emma Drake, partner in online safety and privacy at law firm Bird & Bird, told the BBC. Proposing a potential solution to Ofcom, she stated:

"Ofcom can instead ask a court to order other services to disrupt a provider's UK business, such as requiring a service's removal from search results or blocking of UK payments. If Ofcom doesn't think this will be enough to prevent significant harm, it can even ask that ISPs be ordered to block UK access."

Stay tuned for more updates.