4chan's internet trolls presumed to outmaneuver the regulatory efforts of Ofcom
Title: The Bold Move of Britain's Online Safety Regulator: Global Censor In-Chief?
📸 Credit: Getty**
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Aunsigned letter from the "good old days" when Britain could still play big brother to the world seems lost on Ofcom. Since the enforcement of the wretched Online Safety Act was placed in their care, the UK's telecommunications regulator has been causing quite a fuss on the global scene.
Now, bulletin-board site 4chan finds itself under Ofcom's crosshairs. Formal warnings and investigations were issued earlier this month for potentially illegal content hosting. To make matters worse, Ofcom demands access to 4chan's 'risk-assessment records'. If the platform fails to comply, they could face fines up to £18 million or 10% of their turnover. Ouch!
Let's face it, 4chan isn't exactly a model of civility. Its userbase is filled with misanthropes, provocateurs, porn enthusiasts, and bombastic far-right activists. Much of what they post is, frankly, illegal under UK law. But here lies a problem: 4chan is an American entity, with its servers located in California.
Plenty of vile things are published on 4chan, but much of it is protected under the First Amendment — the US's cherished freedom-of-speech guarantee. Considering that most of the content in question is lawful in the States, it's doubtful 4chan will brandish the old "none of your business" line and let Ofcom tap dance around their servers.
This isn't the first time Ofcom has disrupted the peace with a foreign platform. Earlier this year, they sent the humorless reminders to American forums Gab and Kiwifarms, also popular with far-right activists, reminding them of their "supposed" duties under the UK's Online Safety Act. Gab gave them a firm "bugger off," while Kiwifarms showed more (digital) spice by redirecting UK-based surfers to a "splash" page featuring Ofcom's pompous letter, accusing the UK of going full-on surveillance state.
Why is Ofcom sobersides up, spending taxpayer dollars to lecture foreign companies about their websites? It's not just a waste of time...it's damaging. The UK can't punish foreigners for practicing lawful activities in their home countries. The US might already view the UK as a belligerent on the free-speech frontier — a notion that Ofcom seems determined to reinforce.
Like many British bureaucracies, Ofcom has grown overconfident, thinking itself an imperial power with ambitions to become the planet's censor. Someone needs to clip their wings — or better yet, put them out to pasture. 🐓
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- The actions of Britain's Online Safety Regulator, Ofcom, have raised questions about free speech and cancel culture, as they attempt to regulate foreign platforms like 4chan, under the guise of the Online Safety Act.
- It's concerning that Ofcom, a UK bureaucracy, is using taxpayer dollars to lecture foreign companies about their websites, potentially infringing on the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment in the United States.
- As Ofcom continues to assert its role as a global censor, it's crucial for them to understand the importance of respecting cultural differences and upholding the principles of free speech, especially in the context of politics and general news.
