United Kingdom Imposes First Online Safety Fine On US Site 4chan
JAKARTA The United Kingdom on Monday, October 13 announced that it had imposed a fine of 20,000 pounds sterling (around Rp535 million) on the internet forum site from the United States, 4chan. This was deemed to have failed to provide information regarding the risk of illegal content on its platform. This step is the first sanction imposed under the new regime of the Online Security Act.
British media regulator Ofcom stated that 4chan did not respond to requests to submit copies of risk assessments related to illegal content in its service. The site also does not meet a second request related to its operations globally.
Ofcom insists it will take action against any service that openly ignores their obligations under the Online Security Act. They must be ready to face sanctions, "said the agency.
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The law is designed to protect children and vulnerable users from illegal content in cyberspace. However, its implementation sparked tensions between the British government and technology companies from the United States. Critics say these rules threaten freedom of speech and unfairly target US companies.
British Technology Minister Liz Kendall stated that the government fully supports Ofcom's decisive move. "This fine is a clear warning to anyone who fails to remove illegal content or protect children from harmful material," she said.
Meanwhile, the 4chan site along with another forum, Kiwi Farms, filed a lawsuit in a United States court last August against Ofcom. They accused the regulatory body of violating the constitutional rights of US citizens regarding freedom of speech through law enforcement that is 'threatening' and disrupting US-based company operations.
Ofcom said fines for 4chan would increase by 100 pounds per day from Tuesday, October 14 for 60 days or until the site provided the requested information. If 4chan continues to ignore the sanctions, Ofcom could take steps to order internet service providers to block access to the site in the United Kingdom.
In addition, Ofcom also said two file sharing services had taken action to prevent the spread of sexual abuse material against children after the agency identified potential violations. Four other file sharing services have even carried out geo-blocking' or blocked access from UK-based IP addresses in response to Ofcom law enforcement actions.