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Spiked’s Adam Edwards opines on the Online Safety Act in the UK.
The story centers on U.S. lawyer Preston Byrne, who represents the message board 4chan and is openly defying the UK’s Online Safety Act. When the UK regulator Ofcom issued 4chan a £20,000 fine, Byrne publicly mocked the demand and argued that British law has no legal power over companies and citizens who have no operations or assets in the UK. He views the Online Safety Act as an overreaching censorship regime and says Ofcom is trying to enforce rules outside its jurisdiction by sending threatening letters instead of going through proper international legal channels.
The Online Safety Act requires any online platform accessed by UK users—regardless of where the company is based—to submit risk assessments, reports, and censorship plans, under threat of fines or even jail for executives. While 4chan has refused to comply and likely faces no real consequences because it has no UK presence, larger American companies like Meta and Google do have substantial assets in Britain, making potential enforcement far more serious. This has sparked broader questions about sovereignty, free speech, and whether a foreign government can compel U.S. companies to restrict or monitor content.
To counter the UK’s moves, Byrne has launched both a legal challenge in U.S. federal court and proposed new U.S. legislation called the GRANITE Act, which would allow American companies to sue foreign regulators like Ofcom if they attempt to impose fines or censorship demands. If passed, it could effectively block foreign censorship attempts and even allow U.S. courts to seize foreign government assets in retaliation. Byrne argues that if the UK cannot force U.S. firms to comply, British lawmakers may eventually be forced to reconsider the Online Safety Act altogether.
