4chan shrugs off UK regulator, refuses to pay £520,000 in fines over online safety violations

Ofcom has fined 4chan a total of £450,000 under the Online Safety Act for failing to introduce age checks to stop children accessing pornographic content, not completing a risk assessment, and not setting out protections in its terms of service. The regulator ordered 4chan to implement age assurance measures and complete a risk assessment by 2 April 2026, with daily penalties possible until compliance is achieved or until 1 June 2026; the company has previously said it will not pay such fines.