Ofcom fines 4chan £20,000 for non-compliance with the UK Online Safety Act

UK communications regulator Ofcom has issued a £20,000 fine to anonymous imageboard 4chan for failing to provide information requested under the Online Safety Act 2023. The regulator asked for the sites illegal-harms risk assessment and details about qualifying worldwide revenue; 4chan did not comply.

This is the first penalty Ofcom has issued under the new law, which came into force this year to curb childrens access to harmful content online. In addition to the upfront fine, Ofcom is charging an extra penalty of 300 ($133) per day until 4chan supplies the requested information.

When Ofcom opened its probe in June it cited complaints about illegal content on the anonymous board. 4chan has pushed back: in August the site filed suit against Ofcom, arguing the laws enforcement infringes on Americans freedom of speech.

• Fine: 20,000 for failing to comply with information requests.
• Ongoing penalty: 100 per day until compliance.
• Context: First enforcement fine under the Online Safety Act; other platforms (e.g., Reddit, X) have already adjusted policies like age verification.
• Related actions: Ofcom reported progress in other cases — some file-sharing services deployed automated CSAM-detection tools, while others geoblocked UK access.

Ofcom framed the fine as a signal to platforms that fail to remove illegal content or protect children from harmful material. The case raises questions about how national online-safety rules interact with platforms that prioritize anonymity and minimal moderation.

For more details, see the original coverage on Engadget and Ofcoms public updates on the Online Safety Act investigations.

Discussion: Do you think fines and information demands under the Online Safety Act will effectively curb illegal content on anonymous platforms, or will they push sites to resist or relocate? Share your thoughts below.