Uk Fines 4chan Nearly $700,000 For Failing Its Online Safety Act Obligations

UK’s Ofcom has fined 4chan a full of £520,000 ($690,000) complete nan website’s nonaccomplishment to comply pinch nan rules of Online Safety Act 2023. The biggest chunk of nan magnitude came from 4chan’s nonaccomplishment to guarantee children cannot brushwood pornographic contented connected its website by implementing an effective property cheque mechanism. For that violation, nan website has received a punishment of £450,000 ($598,000) and an bid to use an property cheque strategy by April 2. It carries a regular complaint punishment of £500 ($664) until nan website is compliant aliases until June 1, whichever comes sooner.

Ofcom besides recovered that 4chan has grounded to transportation retired capable forbidden contented consequence appraisal connected its website and has fined it £50,000 ($66,400) for that violation. 4chan has until April 2 to behaviour a consequence assessment, aliases it has to salary an further £200 ($266) per day. Finally, nan regulator has wished that 4chan grounded to see provisions successful its position of work that specify really it protects users from forbidden content. That carries a good of £20,000 ($26,600), pinch a regular complaint punishment of £100 ($133) a time from its compliance deadline of April 2 to June 1.

The regulator started investigating 4chan, celebrated for its anonymous and unmoderated messaging boards, successful June 2025 to find if it was failing to meet its obligations nether nan law. In October, Ofcom announced its decision for immoderate of nan investigations it opened. It slapped 4chan pinch a £20,000 ($26,700) good for ignoring its requests for a transcript of nan website’s forbidden harms consequence appraisal and to supply accusation astir its qualifying worldwide revenue. The regulator has confirmed to Engadget that 4chan has yet to salary that erstwhile fine, which besides earned cumulative regular reward fees for 60 days.