4chan hit by £20,000 UK watchdog fine

LONDON — The provider of online message board 4chan has been fined £20,000 by the U.K.'s communications regulator Ofcom for failing to respond to requests for information about its compliance with the Online Safety Act.

Preston Bryne, a lawyer representing 4Chan, said in August that Ofcom had provisionally decided to fine 4Chan for £20,000. Ofcom's statement today confirms that is the case.

Ofcom will also impose a daily penalty of £100, starting from Tuesday, for either 60 days or until 4chan provides it with the relevant information, whichever is sooner.

Suzanne Cater, Director of Enforcement at Ofcom, said: “Today sends a clear message that any service which flagrantly fails to engage with Ofcom and their duties under the Online Safety Act can expect to face robust enforcement action.

“We're also seeing some services take steps to introduce improved safety measures as a direct result of our enforcement action. Services who choose to restrict access rather than protect U.K. users remain on our watchlist as we continue to monitor their availability to U.K. users.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall praised Ofcom's decision, saying in a statement: “The Online Safety Act is not just law, it’s a lifeline. Today we’ve seen it in action, holding platforms to account so we can protect people across the U.K.”

“This fine serves a clear warning to those who fail to remove illegal content or protect children from harmful material. We fully back the regulator in taking action against all platforms that do not protect users from the darkest corners of the internet,” she added.