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Controversial online forum 4chan is at risk of being blocked in the UK after Ofcom refuses to pay a fine for breaches Rules set by Online Security Act,
The website, which hosts adult content, was fined £20,000 for failing to share information about the risk of illegal content on its platform.
Media watchdog Ofcom said action would be taken against companies that “clearly fail to engage with Ofcom and their duties under the Online Safety Act”.
Lawyers for 4chan described the fine, which is the first to be handed down under the new regulation, as “vague” and “senseless.”
4chan, known as the “trash bin of the Internet”, has previously been blamed for radicalizing young men, while it has also been linked to mass shootings.
It is also the founding location of the online hacking group Anonymous, and the birthplace of some of the Internet’s most popular memes, such as pepe the frog And Rickrolling,
Websites that fail to comply with the Online Security Act face financial penalties of up to £18 million, or 10 per cent of worldwide turnover. If these are ignored, courts can ask Internet service providers to block access to the site.
Suzanne Cater, Director of Enforcement at Ofcom, said, “Today sends a clear message that any service that clearly fails to engage with Ofcom and their duties under the Online Safety Act can expect to face strong enforcement action.”
“We are also seeing that some services are taking steps to introduce better security measures as a direct result of our enforcement action. Services that choose to restrict access rather than protect UK users remain on our watch list as we continue to monitor their availability to UK users.”
The rules, which came into effect in July, are aimed at protecting children from harmful content. They require sites hosting adult content to perform stronger age verification checks, such as requesting a government-approved photo ID, checking credit card information, or using facial age estimation technology.
4chan has 60 days to provide the information requested by Ofcom, with an additional fine of £100 added for each day it ignores.
The site has filed its own lawsuit against Ofcom, accusing the regulator of overstepping its legal authority by applying UK laws to companies based in other jurisdictions.
“That Americans do not comply with British censors is a matter of settled American law,” said Preston Byrne, managing partner of the law firm Byrne & Storm, which represents 4chan. Wire,
“Maybe instead of sending stupid letters to my clients, they should think about responding to the lawsuit filed against them in DC federal court.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said in a statement: “Services can no longer ignore illegal content, such as suicide or encouraging suicide, being spread online that can devastate young lives and tear families apart.
“This fine is a clear warning to those who fail to remove illegal content or protect children from harmful content.”