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The Ofcom Tea Party: 4Chan Lawyer publishes Ofcom correspondence, British regulator claims “sovereign immunity” to defend itself – and sovereign powers to regulate foreign companies (alecmuffett.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 20 points 10 months ago (1 child)

Yeah, I don't think you really understand how the internet works. Their presence is in the country where their servers are. People from the UK essentially go to another country to visit 4chan. If the UK doesn't like that the onus should be on them to block that access, but that is also a stupid idea thanks to VPNs.

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  • [+] -16 points 10 months ago* (1 child)

    Their income is derived from the UK users. They can either block the UK traffic (which they don't want as it would mean less money) or engage with the regulator regarding risk of illegal content they have been fined for:

    The controversial online forum 4chan risks being blocked in the UK after refusing to pay a fine from Ofcom for breaking [rules set by the Online Safety Act]).

    The website, which hosts adult content, was handed a £20,000 for failing to share information about the risk of illegal content on its platform.

    Media watchdog Ofcom said action would be taken against companies that "flagrantly fails to engage with Ofcom and their duties under the Online Safety Act".

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  • [–] 9 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Does the UK think they have jurisdiction over my server just because some twat from the UK visits my site? If so, there's a reason why we fought a war nearly 250 years ago that said that a stupid fucking idea. Colonialism is a dead ideology

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  • [+] -12 points 10 months ago* (1 child)

    Does the UK think they have jurisdiction over my server just because some twat from the UK visits my site?

    Yes. You are providing services to the UK users and deriving income from these services.

    If so, there's a reason why we fought a war nearly 250 years ago

    Get used to it. Apple get fined by the EU multiple times, Microsoft and Google also, from memory, lost some cases in the EU despite lack of physical presence.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Apple also sells a physical product in the UK. Microsoft and Apple both sell a virtual service/product in the UK. 4chan only gets revenue from you looking at posters and clicking those posters on their website.

    UK can get fucking bent. Come and take it.

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  • [+] -10 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    UK can get fucking bent. Come and take it.

    I assure you this is what will happen. If 4chan won't pay the fine, they will be blocked in the UK by the Internet service providers (as this is the next step in the process). They will then see that non compliance with Ofcom decision is significantly more expensive than compliance.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    they will be blocked in the UK

    This is the only real solution, and it's a inconvenient one at best to surfers thanks to solutions like VPN.

    Can't stop the signal

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  • [–] -1 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    It’s not ‘inconvenience at best’. The vast majority of people won’t use a VPN, so it will be a loss of revenue. Even if you are willing to pay for a VPN (or daft enough to use a free one), it’s an inconvenience as using a VPN can have side effects, such as other things getting blocked unexpectedly, or cause websites to redirect you to the local version in the country of your VPN server.

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    You’re deluded if you think the UK is going to get a cent from 4chan. The most they can do is direc their ISPs to block 4chan IPs but that wont stop people from tunneling to the site. Thats all they have the legal jurisdiction to do like it or not

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  • [–] -5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

    4chan will probably end up paying the fine and engaging immediately when it is blocked in the UK as it will result in their top line getting hit. There is also an option of seizing the assets belonging to the company (not necessarily just in the the UK although probably not in the USA). You are deluded if you think otherwise.

    It will end up the same as tech giants fines. They will shout, moan and pay.

    I especially like this hysterical statement:

    The statement added the US federal authorities had been “briefed” on the matter, adding that the Ofcom investigation was part of an “illegal campaign of harassment against American technology firms”.

    😂😂😂

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  • [–] 3 points 10 months ago

    Why would 4chan pay the fine? Its not like 4chan will take all that much of a hit because people can tunnel out and still participate in however 4chan monetizes if they really wanted to. Also lmao seize assets. 4chan has no assets in the UK to seize afaik.

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