Online platforms 4chan and Kiwi Farms have filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., challenging the authority of the United Kingdom’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) to enforce British privacy regulations on U.S.-based entities. The platforms assert that the U.K.’s Online Safety Act 2023 is powerless in the U.S. and violates constitutional rights under the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments.
In their complaint, the platforms allege that the U.K. and other European governments are attempting to “control the American Internet and hobble American competitiveness” through legislation that extends beyond their borders. The lawsuit highlights that the Online Safety Act grants Ofcom broad powers to demand content removal and age verification, threatening civil fines, criminal penalties, and even imprisonment for noncompliance.
“Ofcom’s orders represent an unprecedented attempt to impose foreign law on U.S. citizens and companies,” the complaint states. “This overreach is unenforceable under U.S. law and conflicts directly with established constitutional protections and federal statutes, including the Communications Decency Act and the SPEECH Act.”
The platforms emphasize that the law has already forced online services to implement strict age verification procedures, including ID submissions and facial recognition, to access adult content—measures widely criticized by privacy advocates as censorship.
4chan, known for its image-based discussion forums, and Kiwi Farms, a controversial web forum, argue that enforcement attempts by Ofcom infringe on their operations and users’ rights. Notices from Ofcom warn of fines up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover, arrest, and imprisonment for failure to comply.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block Ofcom from enforcing the law on U.S. soil and a declaratory judgment affirming that the U.K.’s online censorship mandates are legally ineffective in the United States.
