British online law in practice: US website fined and threatened with blocking

The UK has fined the internet forum 4chan just under €23,000 for failing to comply with its obligations under the Online Safety Act. According to the regulatory authority Ofcom, the platform failed to submit the required risk assessment regarding illegal content and also ignored a subsequent request for information.

This is the first fine imposed under the new law, which aims to protect children and vulnerable people from harmful online material.

British Technology Minister Liz Kendall said the government fully supports Ofcom's decision. The fine is intended to serve as a warning to other platforms that refuse to take responsibility for the content on their sites.

If 4chan continues to fail to provide information, the fine will increase by just over €100 per day for the next 60 days. In extreme cases, access to the website from the UK could be blocked.

4chan and the Kiwi Farms forum already filed a lawsuit in the US in August. In it, they accuse Ofcom of violating their right to freedom of expression.

(reuters, max)