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4Chan mocks £520k fine for UK online safety breaches (bbc.com)

465 points by mosura · 165 days ago · 874 comments on HN

Article summary

The UK online safety regulator Ofcom has fined the US messaging platform 4Chan £520,000 for failing to comply with various aspects of the Online Safety Act, including not implementing age checks to prevent children from accessing pornography. 4Chan has refused to pay the fine, with its lawyer responding with an AI-generated cartoon image of a hamster. The fine also includes penalties for failing to assess the risk of illegal material being published and not protecting users from criminal content. Ofcom has stated that companies must comply with UK online safety laws, regardless of their base of operations.

Main themes

  • Online Safety Regulation
  • Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
  • Global Content Moderation
  • UK Online Safety Act
  • 4Chan and Online Anonymity
  • International Law and Enforcement

What commenters say

  • The UK's attempt to fine a US-based company for not complying with its online safety laws is an overreach of its jurisdiction.
  • Companies operating globally should be required to comply with the laws of each country they serve, including age verification and content moderation.
  • The UK's laws should not apply to foreign companies unless they have a physical presence or subsidiary in the UK.
  • Extraterritorial jurisdiction is a complex issue, and countries can have laws that apply to their citizens or companies even when they operate outside their borders.
  • The concept of extraterritorial jurisdiction is not universally accepted, and some argue that it is an attempt to exert influence over other countries' affairs.
  • The UK's approach to regulating online content is comparable to banning the importation of books or newspapers that the government disagrees with.
  • The responsibility for enforcing online safety laws lies with the country where the content is being accessed, rather than the country where the content is hosted.
  • The use of geoblocking or other technical measures can be an effective way for countries to enforce their online safety laws and protect their citizens.