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US forum 4chan mocks UK watchdog as a giant hamster over latest online safety fine

By Patricia Figueiredo ( March 19, 2026, 14:05 GMT | Insight) -- Online forum 4chan has escalated its challenge to UK regulators' powers to enforce it after receiving a £520,000 fine for breaches of the Online Safety Act. It said it wouldn't comply and questioned the enforceability of Ofcom's orders in the US, mocking the regulator's authority over it via a cartoon image of a hamster. The dispute focuses on limits to regulatory authority when platforms are based outside the UK and not prepared to engage. Online forum 4chan has escalated its challenge to the UK online safety regulator’s authority to enforce it after receiving a fine for failing to implement age checks and other shortcomings....

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