If 4chan continues to ignore Ofcom, the forum could be blocked in the UK. And 4chan could face even bigger fines totaling about $23 million or 10 percent of 4chan’s worldwide turnover, whichever is higher. 4chan also faces potential arrest and/or “imprisonment for a term of up to two years,” the lawsuit said.

  • nevemsenki@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If you’re ok with this then imagine your local lemmy instance getting fined by China/Qatar/Thailand/etc for posting something breaking their laws.

    • TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works
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      If they operate in China then it seems legit. If they don’t operate in China it’s a non issue.

      This might be stupid, but the corollary of your statement is that a sovereign nation can’t impose laws on foreign business…

      That what you want?

      • nevemsenki@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Unironically yes. Otherwise the internet as we know it is very much over, and what we have instead is a mesh of country-nets.

        I mean, what is actually “doing business” when it comes a simple web page or a forum for example? Merely existing and being reachable.

        • theneverfox@pawb.social
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          2 months ago

          Yeah, and a county could say “you can’t do business in our county anymore” and block them

          A country can ban dildos, but they don’t get to tell a foreign factory they can’t make dildos. If an importer orders dildos anyways, that’s between the importer and customs. Which in this case the importer is the ISP

        • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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          2 months ago

          Otherwise the internet as we know it is very much over, and what we have instead is a mesh of country-nets.

          which, TBH, doesn’t seem so bad to me. as an european, i’m personally sick of all the sick (as in, unwell) culture from america swapping over via the internet and poisoning people’s minds.

          i mean, all the culture war is literally instigated by american capitalists to disrupt society and to disrupt the people’s coherence, to make them weaker and therefore easier to exploit.

          If it wasn’t for continuous exposure to american influence, europe would long have drastic left-wing political reforms, i guess.

          • nevemsenki@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Oh yes, because it’s not like Nigel Farage, Victor Orban and a bunch of other populists didn’t make use of US companies and advisors (and russian funds…) on how to best fracture societies to their end. Clearly nuking the internet would put an end to that, and all would be well.

      • Mr. Satan@lemmy.zip
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        2 months ago

        Yes. You can impose as much laws as you can enforce them. Don’t want your citizens to buy anything from me, stop shipments at your border. Want to stop payments, talk to your banks. Want to stop access to my servers, block them at your routers.

        Why the fuck should I enforce your rules for you? You made them, you figure out how you will make them work.

        you being the UK government, in this case.

      • pogmommy@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        My server is in the corned of my bedroom. How the hell can I be operating in China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Brazil, Norway, or The UK if my bedroom is in none of those countries?

  • tal@lemmy.today
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    2 months ago

    4chan also faces potential arrest and/or “imprisonment for a term of up to two years,” the lawsuit said.

    You don’t want to be locked in a small cell with 4chan for two years.

  • Gemini24601@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Is it even possible for Ofcom to legally fine 4chan for these issues? How does a company in the UK fine a US company?

    • CatDogL0ver@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      It isn’t really an US company for say. It just conveniently claims itself an US company. The servers probably are not in the US

    • CatDogL0ver@lemmy.world
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      The argument 4chan uses is laughable. “Freedom of speech of every American?” Tere is no such protection in the US right now.

      No one is watching the news? Trump is killing freedom of speech. Anyone dares to advocate equality is getting fired or estorcised. All rainbow, trans or minority rights signs are being eliminated. Our rainbow sidewalk in my city was repainted. Diversity programs are dismantled. Any minority names program is being renamed. Less black people are being hired in the white house than ever.

      Even now som states require you to prove your identity before your can log into Internet.

      American invention? American right? Lol.

    • WALLACE@feddit.uk
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      2 months ago

      It works the same way they can fine domestic businesses: Pay up or we’ll stop you from doing any more business in this country.

      In the context of a website like 4chan that means pay the fine or get blocked by every UK based ISP.

      • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Oh no! That one country out of all the other ones will be the biggest loss ever!

        Anyway, about these things called VPNs.

        • FishFace@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I think this sentiment is common but misses some important things. First: the UK is a big market of internet users, so losing it is not insignificant. Second: most people will not bother with a VPN because it’s annoying or costs money. Third: from the UK’s perspective, banning non-compliant sites is a good thing.

          Recognising all this is important, because it’s part of resisting such censorious laws.

          • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            The population of internet users is tiny compared to the total population of internet users in the Western world.

            Nothing great or significant is lost.

            • FishFace@lemmy.world
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              It’s the 4th largest country of origin for 4chan from what I can find. It doesn’t sound like you’re actually responding to what I said is being missed. Guess you don’t want to.

              • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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                2 months ago

                I just dint think any of it matters. UK is a big market for Internet users… Yes, like any other developed country.

                It is only the 4th largest country for 4chan… Which isn’t even in the top 3.

                The UK not having access to 4chan is of no consequence, and the kinds of people that still hang out there would probably know their way around a VPN.

                There is no further thing that’s worth addressing.

  • MrSulu@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    So then… Potential arrest and imprisonment for 4chan for no proven damage. Meanwhile, Trump can visit the King.

    • FishFace@lemmy.world
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      Potential arrest and imprisonment for failing to pay the fine, you mean? That would be a proven damage, wouldn’t it?

    • nagaram@startrek.website
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      2 months ago

      Probably why they didn’t do it in the first place.

      They barely pay for moderation. Who is going to pay for that survey? And also why would they? Obviously most of the people on that site are under 18. That’s when I used it.

      What other demographic clicks the horny ads they run?

  • nuxi@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    4chan’s actual legal response to this can be summarized as “We are incorporated in Delaware which has not been subject to UK law since 1783. See the Treaty of Paris”.

    • ArmchairAce1944@discuss.online
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      2 months ago

      Damn fucking straight. I hope it starts an privacy movement so big they realize that all the laws passed since 2000 against terrorism were abject failures and repeal all of them.

      Canada is trying to pass major surveillance shit on par with the patriot act on steroids and effectively nullify the need for warrants, all in the name of ‘strong borders’ and anti terrorism even though it literally gives many US owned and operated companies full and complete access to digital information on Canadians, ironically weakening borders in every way.

      And for what? What is the terrorism threat? Al-Qaeda was a always a joke, and the fact that 9/11 happened was far more due to a monumental failure of all intelligence services combined and not due to a lack of resources. Terrorist schemes have been thwarted in the past without the need for extensive surveillance… and most plots are still thwarted primarily by informants and insiders speaking to authorities. The whole 'we need to be super proactive ’ has yielded shit results.

      Most of the stuff that they claim was 'prevented proactively ’ was literally entrapment. They found some mentally ill and/or lonely people who would have done nothing on their own, but ended up being goaded into stupid crap when undercover agents flirted with them, encouraged them, and even offered weapons and explosives for them to use, and if they agreed… well, that’s when they nabbed them. No terrorism would have occurred if agents didn’t do shit.

      Have you ever wondered why so many people are highly distrustful of people talking about doing violent shit? Fed posting? Its because agents have such a long ass history of doing that that you cannot tell who is and who isn’t a Fed.

  • nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 months ago

    4chan can be the first website blocked by the great firewalls of British cooking. potatoes and boiled cocks. not bad if im honest

    • Arcane2077@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      The thing is, an indeterminable amount of users (and admins!) are feds, so despite giving the appearance of lawlessness, it’s actually fully compliant!

    • Cybersteel@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      They could go after the owner. I believe he lives in Japan, all the UK has to do is send an extradition request to the Japanese government, bing bang boom all done.

      • ArmchairAce1944@discuss.online
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        2 months ago

        Which they would laugh at. Even the Chinese government would laugh at such a request. It isn’t something that is considered universally a crime, like robbery and murder, but the type of shit they are asking for is so fucking unprecedented and unreasonable it’s stupid.

        It would be like if the UK demanded that France immediately extradite all legal handgun owners in France (where handguns are legal) because it is a crime to possess one in Great Britain and therefore they are criminals. Makes no sense.

  • yetAnotherUser@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    I wonder if Ofcom’s true goal is banning 4chan from the UK and if this is a just required part of the legal process for a ban…