Children see porn on 4chan unchecked: site fined £450,000, refuses to comply

American internet forum 4chan has received a £450,000 fine (approximately $600,000) for failing to implement age verification technology to prevent children from seeing pornography on its website.

Ofcom, the United Kingdom’s media authority, also issued a £50,000 fine ($66,000) for not assessing the risk of illegal content appearing on its platform. The internet platform must now implement age assurance checks by April 2nd. Failing to meet this requirement will lead to a daily penalty of £500.

4chan was also imposed an additional £20,000 fine ($26,000) for neglecting to explain how it protects users from criminal content in its terms of service. An illegal content risk assessment must also be carried out by April 2nd, or the forum will face a daily penalty of £200.

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

Preston Byrne, 4chan’s lawyer, is very displeased with Ofcom’s fines.

“The First Amendment is concerned with protecting speech in the United States. That includes the right to speak anonymously, as every 4chan user does, and the right to refuse foreign age verification mandates. Your 2023 law doesn’t override 250 years of American independence,” he said.

“At the end of the day, 4chan has a right to refuse Ofcom’s orders. In America, Ofcom’s orders are unlawful orders. It is entirely right and proper for 4chan to refuse those orders and to thereby defend free speech in the United States,” Byrne added.

In October 2025, Ofcom issued a £20,000 fine to 4chan for ignoring a formal information request.

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There’s been a lot of debate regarding the effectiveness of age verification technology. Critics argue that age verification tools aren’t suited to solving the problem of limiting access to harmful content, as they’re easy to bypass.

For example, underaged internet users can circumvent restricted content by using a VPN, borrowing someone else’s identity, or using AI tools to alter photos. In addition, age checks reduce privacy and include risks such as data breaches and increased surveillance.

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