4chan, others under investigation by UK regulator over online safety laws

Published 10/06/2025, 12:46
4chan, others under investigation by UK regulator over online safety laws

Investing.com -- The United Kingdom (TADAWUL:4280)’s media regulator, Ofcom, announced on Tuesday that it has initiated nine separate investigations into potential breaches of online safety laws. The investigations include the internet message board 4chan and seven file-sharing services. The regulator is examining whether these platforms have failed to implement appropriate safety measures to shield users from illegal content.

The investigations were triggered by the UK’s Online Safety Act, enacted in 2023, which mandates stricter standards for platforms to combat criminal activity. The law places particular emphasis on child protection and the prohibition of illegal content.

Ofcom stated that it had received complaints about potential illegal content on 4chan. There were also separate complaints about the possible dissemination of child sexual abuse material on seven file-sharing services.

The regulator’s investigations aim to determine if 4chan and the file-sharing platforms failed to institute adequate safety measures to guard users against illegal content. Ofcom is also examining whether these platforms responded correctly to a statutory information request and maintained proper risk assessment records.

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