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> Ofcom’s censorship of Americans in America Really? Where and when?

by chrisjj 9mo ago

nozzlegear 9mo ago
I believe they're talking about 4Chan. There's a timeline linked in the article, but tldr this Ofcom (isp I guess?) has been trying to force 4chan to use age verification on all visitors in compliance with UK law, even though 4chan is based in the US. > 12/4/2025: Ofcom writes to 4chan again, claiming it is “expanding its investigation” into the site for not age-verifying its users. Ofcom explains that although it is “a UK-based regulator… that does not mean the rules do not apply to sites based abroad.” Edit: after reading through the legal correspondences, it looks like Ofcom has been trying to get 4chan to produce cooperate with its investigation into whether or not it complies with the UK's Online Safety Act. 4chan didn't respond to the first two inquiries from Ofcom, so Ofcom has been attempting to fine them according to the Act. https://prestonbyrne.com/2025/10/16/the-ofcom-files/ https://prestonbyrne.com/2025/10/16/the-ofcom-files/
- chrisjj 9mo ago
  > Ofcom (isp I guess?) has been trying to force 4chan to use age verification on all visitors in compliance with UK law, All? I think not. "The Act only requires that services take action to protect users in the UK - it does not require them to protect users anywhere else in the world. The measures that Ofcom recommends providers take to comply with their duties only relate to the design or operation of the service in the UK or as it affects UK users." https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/protecting-people-in-the-uk-from-illegal-online-content https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-c...
  - JoshTriplett 9mo ago
    You are taking ofcom's statements at face value and assuming them to be accurate, rather than blatant lies and spin. And even to the extent that that statement were true, it's still overreach to claim any ability to regulate companies outside their jurisdiction. It is not the responsibility of people outside their jurisdiction to help them oppress their citizens; it's just more politically safe to attempt extraterritorial enforcement than it is to put up a country-wide firewall.
    - chrisjj 9mo ago
      > You are taking ofcom's statements at face value and assuming them to be accurate, rather than blatant lies and spin. No I am not. I've verified those statements against the Online Safety Act itself. Please feel free to substantiate your suggestion they are "blatant lies and spin".
      - JoshTriplett 9mo ago
        Ofcom's claimed aims are simultaneously overreaching even in what they claim to want, and inconsistent with their actual enforcement actions which in some cases seem intentionally unsatisfiable by any means other than "stop existing online". Empirically, their attempts at enforcement on non-UK entities, which should not even be able to go as far as "block UK users" (not a responsibility of a non-UK entity), don't stop with "block UK users", and also attempt to enforce "don't suggest VPNs" and "block VPNs", which are not aspects inherently associated with UK users specifically as opposed to any other country. And all that is leaving aside that the claimed aims of "protecting UK users" are confirmed false, in legal filings: https://bsky.app/profile/tupped.bsky.social/post/3lwgcmswmy222 https://bsky.app/profile/tupped.bsky.social/post/3lwgcmswmy2...
        chrisjj 9mo ago
        > their actual enforcement actions which in some cases seem intentionally unsatisfiable by any means other than "stop existing online" OK, so you are disputing Ofcom's: "The measures that Ofcom recommends providers take to comply with their duties only relate to the design or operation of the service in the UK or as it affects UK users". Feel free to show even one Ofcom demand that goes beyond service to UK users only.
  - replooda 9mo ago
    > VPNs ... can enable people to access online services in a way ... they do not benefit from protections required by the Online Safety Act They sound like abusive partners of the "you're confused, I'm doing this for your own good" variety. It must have taken real discipline, resisting the urge to add an "or else" somewhere, perhaps a few iterations of "I'm going to marry you someday, Lorraine!"

> Ofcom’s censorship of Americans in America Really? Where and when?

by chrisjj 9mo ago

> Ofcom’s censorship of Americans in America Really? Where and when?

I believe they're talking about 4Chan. There's a timeline linked in the article, but tldr this Ofcom (isp I guess?) has been trying to force 4chan to use age verification on all visitors in compliance with UK law, even though 4chan is based in the US. > 12/4/2025: Ofcom writes to 4chan again, claiming it is “expanding its investigation” into the site for not age-verifying its users. Ofcom explains that although it is “a UK-based regulator… that does not mean the rules do not apply to sites based abroad.” Edit: after reading through the legal correspondences, it looks like Ofcom has been trying to get 4chan to produce cooperate with its investigation into whether or not it complies with the UK's Online Safety Act. 4chan didn't respond to the first two inquiries from Ofcom, so Ofcom has been attempting to fine them according to the Act. https://prestonbyrne.com/2025/10/16/the-ofcom-files/ https://prestonbyrne.com/2025/10/16/the-ofcom-files/

chrisjj 9mo ago
> Ofcom (isp I guess?) has been trying to force 4chan to use age verification on all visitors in compliance with UK law, All? I think not. "The Act only requires that services take action to protect users in the UK - it does not require them to protect users anywhere else in the world. The measures that Ofcom recommends providers take to comply with their duties only relate to the design or operation of the service in the UK or as it affects UK users." https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/protecting-people-in-the-uk-from-illegal-online-content https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-c...
- JoshTriplett 9mo ago
  You are taking ofcom's statements at face value and assuming them to be accurate, rather than blatant lies and spin. And even to the extent that that statement were true, it's still overreach to claim any ability to regulate companies outside their jurisdiction. It is not the responsibility of people outside their jurisdiction to help them oppress their citizens; it's just more politically safe to attempt extraterritorial enforcement than it is to put up a country-wide firewall.
  - chrisjj 9mo ago
    > You are taking ofcom's statements at face value and assuming them to be accurate, rather than blatant lies and spin. No I am not. I've verified those statements against the Online Safety Act itself. Please feel free to substantiate your suggestion they are "blatant lies and spin".
    - JoshTriplett 9mo ago
      Ofcom's claimed aims are simultaneously overreaching even in what they claim to want, and inconsistent with their actual enforcement actions which in some cases seem intentionally unsatisfiable by any means other than "stop existing online". Empirically, their attempts at enforcement on non-UK entities, which should not even be able to go as far as "block UK users" (not a responsibility of a non-UK entity), don't stop with "block UK users", and also attempt to enforce "don't suggest VPNs" and "block VPNs", which are not aspects inherently associated with UK users specifically as opposed to any other country. And all that is leaving aside that the claimed aims of "protecting UK users" are confirmed false, in legal filings: https://bsky.app/profile/tupped.bsky.social/post/3lwgcmswmy222 https://bsky.app/profile/tupped.bsky.social/post/3lwgcmswmy2...
      - chrisjj 9mo ago
        > their actual enforcement actions which in some cases seem intentionally unsatisfiable by any means other than "stop existing online" OK, so you are disputing Ofcom's: "The measures that Ofcom recommends providers take to comply with their duties only relate to the design or operation of the service in the UK or as it affects UK users". Feel free to show even one Ofcom demand that goes beyond service to UK users only.
- replooda 9mo ago
  > VPNs ... can enable people to access online services in a way ... they do not benefit from protections required by the Online Safety Act They sound like abusive partners of the "you're confused, I'm doing this for your own good" variety. It must have taken real discipline, resisting the urge to add an "or else" somewhere, perhaps a few iterations of "I'm going to marry you someday, Lorraine!"