The United Kingdom has fined 4Chan £20,000 (approximately $26,000) for failing to cooperate with an ongoing investigation under the Online Safety Act (OSA).
The penalty, issued by UK telecoms regulator Ofcom, comes after the controversial social media platform allegedly ignored multiple legally binding information requests related to its global revenue and assessment of illegal content risks.
Starting from tomorrow, 4Chan will face a daily penalty of £100 (approximately $133) for up to 60 days — or until it complies with the information requests — bringing the potential total fine to £6,000 (approximately $8,000).
“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,” said Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s enforcement director, in a statement.
While the current fine is relatively small, Ofcom noted that these mid-probe penalties are well below the maximum £18 million (around $24 million) that can be enforced under the OSA for serious violations.
The investigation, launched in June, centers on allegations that 4Chan hosts potentially illegal content and activity. In response, the platform filed a federal lawsuit against the UK government in August, arguing that Ofcom is overstepping its legal authority by attempting to apply British law to a US-based company.
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The case highlights growing international tension over how far national regulators can go in enforcing online safety laws across borders.
