4Chan mocks £520k fine for UK online safety breaches

Post by dukeyukey » Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 1:53 AM UTC

abletonlive wrote: post #203

LaurensBER wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree but you have to understand that a lot of European (leaders) still have WW2 in the back of their head. For them there're far worse things than giving up some freedoms. One can agree or disagree with this but Europe's actions are far more understandable if you see where they're coming from. From what it's worth, the younger generation doesn't seem to see this the same way so whatever censure Europe introduces t…

> One can agree or disagree with this but Europe's actions are far more understandable if you see where they're coming from. I think you're falsely attributing this to WW2. Free speech is simply just not part of European culture in the way that it is a part of american culture. The ideal of "free speech" regardless of how well that ideal is implemented in practice is something that is much more instilled in US cultur…

Post by roysting » Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 1:54 AM UTC

towledev wrote: post #360

roysting wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s really kind of unfortunate that people ignore the fact that the ruling powers seem to always follow the same MO, yet everyone falls for it over and over again; first they go after the dregs that they’ve made beyond the pale for pearl clutching polite company, e.g., I think over a year ago, when the German government first went after Gab followed by something like, if not Ofcom itself. I don’t recall the outcome…

The fact that unsympathetic targets are the first to be targeted need not be viewed as strategic. Other targets would be defended, which is a reason not to target them. Unsympathetic targets lack defenses and are therefore most likely to be targeted, all other things being equal. We grant fully that it’s a slippery slope, ofc. But is the end of the slope in mind at the outset? Maybe, but not certainly.

Post by matheusmoreira » Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 2:06 AM UTC

observationist wrote: post #318

15155 wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Ofcom really thinks that their laws apply globally. The cries of a long-since-dead empire slowly fading into geopolitical irrelevance.

Not so slowly. They've gone from a more or less respectable smaller country to more or less politically, culturally, and economically irrelevant in less than 10 years. I even question whether it's rational to allow them to have nukes; they should probably be required to give them up to some country that has a shot at remaining a stable and predictable geopolitical entity over the next century.

Post by yesco » Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 2:07 AM UTC

giobox wrote: post #57

ecshafer wrote: post #39

UK fining an American company for this is absurd. 4Chan isn't breaking any laws. You can make it illegal for your own citizens but you can't regulate a foreign business. UK citizens should fight for the right to free speech though.

While I agree it seems absurd, this is how the UK's unwritten constitution works - the UK Parliament is not restricted to legislating just for the territory of the UK. Of course it can only realistically enforce within UK borders, but it can pass whatever legislation it wishes. There is a famous quote regarding this nature of British parliamentary sovereignty that is taught to every law student in the UK: "If Parliam…

Post by testing22321 » Fri, Mar 20, 2026, 2:12 AM UTC

pixl97 wrote: post #190

soco wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think people here are also more fond of 4chan than the average citizen, and also in general rather fond of technological freedom of anything. Makes sense, being players basically in the team about to get a red card. Like it or not, the global internet became a convenient way to skirt local laws and I don't see any reason why exempting something in one place only because it originated in some other place. Is now enf…

Yes it should, there is no global law, and hell forbid there ever should be. It's fucking stupid that an American site that is afforded free speech protection in its own country has to deal with the UK acting like a tyrant.