The British government is at it again, weaponizing its so-called “Online Safety Act” to crack down on speech it doesn’t like.
This time, the target is none other than the online forum 4chan, the notorious online discussion board where anonymous users post unfiltered commentary that sends elites into fits.
On June 10, 2025, Ofcom, the UK’s Orwellian Office of Communications, opened an official investigation into 4chan.
According to Ofcom, the platform failed to hand over information on demand, did not file the “appropriate illegal content risk assessments,” and didn’t bow to London’s censorship mandates. In other words, 4chan refused to bend the knee.
By August 13, Ofcom escalated matters, issuing a provisional notice of contravention under the Act and threatening fines of £20,000 ($27,100) plus daily penalties until the platform complied.
According to the notice:
Provisional Decision: Information Notice duties
In accordance with section 130 of the Online Safety Act 2023, we have today issued 4chan Community Support LLC with a provisional notice of contravention.
Ofcom is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing the provider has contravened its duties under section 102(8) of the Act to comply with two requests for information. We will consider any representations provided in response to this provisional notice before we make a final decision on this matter.
The additional duties under investigation
On 10 June 2025, we opened an investigation into whether the provider of 4chan has failed/is failing to comply with its duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 to:
- adequately respond to a statutory information request;
- complete and keep a record of a suitable and sufficient illegal content risk assessment; and
- comply with the safety duties about illegal content.
Ofcom’s investigation continues to examine concurrently whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that the provider has failed, or is failing, to comply with the other duties under investigation, including duties to protect its users from illegal content. We will provide updates on these matters in due course.
But instead of cowering, 4chan and its legal team fired back with a blistering response that left Ofcom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s censors utterly humiliated.
In a blistering legal statement posted by Byrne & Storm, P.C. and Coleman Law, P.C., 4chan’s lawyers dismantled Ofcom’s fantasy that they had authority over an American company.
The statement went further, warning that U.S. federal authorities had already been briefed and that the Trump Administration should be prepared to step in to defend American companies against foreign censorship mandates.
The statement reads:
According to press reports, the U.K. Office of Communications (“Ofcom”) has issued a provisional notice under the Online Safety Act alleging a contravention by 4chan and indicating an intention to impose a penalty of £20,000, plus daily penalties thereafter.
4chan is a United States company, incorporated in Delaware, with no establishment, assets, or operations in the United Kingdom. Any attempt to impose or enforce a penalty against 4chan will be resisted in U.S. federal court.
American businesses do not surrender their First Amendment rights because a foreign bureaucrat sends them an e-mail. Under settled principles of U.S. law, American courts will not enforce foreign penal fines or censorship codes.
If necessary, we will seek appropriate relief in U.S. federal court to confirm these principles.
United States federal authorities have been briefed on this matter.
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, was reportedly warned by the White House to cease targeting Americans with U.K. censorship codes (according to reporting in the Telegraph on July 30th).
Despite these warnings, Ofcom continues its illegal campaign of harassment against American technology firms. A political solution to this matter is urgently required and that solution must come from the highest levels of American government.
We call on the Trump Administration to invoke all diplomatic and legal levers available to the United States to protect American companies from extraterritorial censorship mandates.
Our client reserves all rights.
Byrne & Storm, P.C. (@ByrneStorm) and Coleman Law, P.C. (@RonColeman) represent 4Chan.
We issue this statement on behalf of our client in response to press reports indicating that the U.K. Office of Communications, aka @Ofcom, intends to fine our client. pic.twitter.com/SVjmzlyuKK
— Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) August 15, 2025
Attorney Preston Byrne then unleashed a series of devastating posts on X, reminding UK regulators just how badly they had overstepped.
“The UK government should now understand that any attempt to touch any American company, however small, will be met with a coordinated U.S. legal response.”
The UK government should now understand that any attempt to touch any American company, however small, will be met with a coordinated U.S. legal response.
We will not let any American be picked on by any foreign power.
— Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) August 15, 2025
“UK law applies on UK soil to UK people. Only Parliament can repeal it. My objective is to remind the UK that the Battle of Yorktown had political consequences, as they seem to have forgotten.”
I mean, UK law applies on UK soil to UK people. Only Parliament can repeal it.
My objective is to remind the UK that the Battle of Yorktown had political consequences, as they seem to have forgotten. https://t.co/NRLT03Spn9
— Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) August 16, 2025
“4chan has done nothing wrong, and it won’t be paying the UK a dime. I have the bravest clients. I am inspired by their courage.”
I have the bravest clients. I am inspired by their courage.https://t.co/bskNeMqbdK
— Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) August 17, 2025
The post UK Government Moves to Investigate 4chan Under Draconian ‘Online Safety Act’ — Platform’s SAVAGE Response Leaves Them Humiliated appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.