4chan and Kiwi Farms have filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court challenging the UK’s new Online Safety Act, which requires age verification for users accessing certain content.
According to 404 Media, both sites argue they are U.S.-based with no operations in the UK, and claim the law amounts to foreign censorship. The complaint refers to Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, as an “industry-funded global censorship bureau” and says its actions infringe on U.S. constitutional protections.
The case follows Ofcom’s investigation into 4chan earlier this year. On August 13, the regulator issued a provisional notice saying the site violated the Online Safety Act and set fines at $26,000 per day for noncompliance.
4Chan responded by rejecting the fine, and ultimately filed the lawsuit against OfCom.
Online Safety Act background
The UK’s Online Safety Act came into effect on July 25, 2025, introducing mandatory age checks for content such as intimate content, self-harm forums, and other restricted material. Platforms that fail to comply can be fined or blocked by internet service providers.
Privacy advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, have raised concerns that the law poses risks to free expression and could expose users to data privacy issues.
Both 4chan and Kiwi Farms say they intend to fight Ofcom’s enforcement in U.S. courts rather than implement the new requirements.
