Online forum 4chan has been fined £520,000 by UK regulator Ofcom for failing to protect children from pornography and illegal content. The US-based platform must address its failings by 2 April or face escalating daily penalties.
The largest fine of £450,000 was imposed for lacking effective age verification to prevent children from accessing pornography, with an additional £500 daily penalty if not resolved. Further fines include £50,000 for failing to assess the risk of illegal material and £20,000 for unclear user protection terms, each carrying daily penalties of £200 and £100 respectively.
Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s director of enforcement, said: “Companies – wherever they’re based – are not allowed to sell unsafe toys to children in the UK. And society has long protected youngsters from things like alcohol, smoking and gambling. The digital world should be no different.” She added that the UK is setting new standards for online safety and will take robust enforcement action against firms that fall short.
This is not the first penalty for 4chan. In October, Ofcom fined the platform £20,000 for ignoring requests to share information about illegal content risks, which rose to £26,000 after continued non-compliance. 4chan has not yet paid that fine and has 28 days to pay the latest penalties, or Ofcom may seek recovery through the courts.
In August, 4chan launched a legal case against Ofcom in the US, arguing that the Online Safety Act targets free speech rights of American citizens. Ofcom has submitted a motion to dismiss the case, stating that any service with links to the UK must protect British users under the new rules, regardless of where it is based.
