Ofcom issues £20K fine to 4chan for ignoring information requests

British media regulator Ofcom has fined US internet forum 4chan £20,000 for ignoring formal information requests.

According to Ofcom, 4chan hasn’t responded to its request for a copy of its illegal harms risk assessment, which was submitted in March 2025. Nor did the internet forum respond to a second request relating to its worldwide revenues.

As a result, Ofcom decided to impose a £20,000 fine. The regulator will also impose a daily penalty of £100 per day, starting today, for either 60 days or until 4chan provides Ofcom with this information – whichever is sooner.

“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,” Suzanne Cater, Director of Enforcement at Ofcom, said in a statement.

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Technology Secretary Liz Kendall praised Ofcom’s decision.

“The Online Safety Act is not just law, it’s a lifeline. Today we’ve seen it in action, holding platforms to account so we can protect people across the UK,” she told news outlets like Politico.

“This fine serves a clear warning to those who fail to remove illegal content or protect children from harmful material. We fully back the regulator in taking action against all platforms that do not protect users from the darkest corners of the internet,” she added.

4chan has until 13th November to pay the fine. If the internet forum refuses to pay, Ofcom can take steps to stop internet service providers from allowing access to its site in Britain.

On July 25th, 2025, the Online Safety Act went into effect in the UK. The legislation is designed to prevent minors from accessing websites that contain pornographic material, information on self-mutilation, and other harmful content.

The new legislation requires website owners and app developers to implement age verification systems and controls to check the age of their users. Ofcom has launched investigations against a few dozen platforms over the new age verification laws.

Websites that don’t comply can be fined up to £18 million or 10 percent of their annual global turnover, whichever is greater.

Many platforms, including 4chan, consider the UK’s Online Safety Act a “censorship law.” That’s why the platform initiated a lawsuit against the British media regulator.

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