Notorious and contentious imageboards 4chan and Kiwi Farms are taking on the UK government in U.S. federal court by filing a lawsuit against the country’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) concerning the controversial Online Safety Act (OSA).

The lawsuit, submitted on Wednesday, August 27, follows previous warnings issued by the site’s legal advisor, Preston Byrne. Byrne cautioned that the platforms would contest Ofcom’s efforts to impose fines and sanctions under the OSA. Their objective is explicit: to secure U.S. courts’ acknowledgment that the UK’s extensive internet law cannot be enforced on American businesses operating entirely outside the UK.

Since its implementation on July 25, the OSA has introduced extensive age verification mandates requiring UK citizens to provide proof of age to access even mainstream services such as YouTube and Spotify. The law, purportedly aimed at safeguarding children from “harmful” content like pornography, has instead faced backlash from critics who claim it infringes upon privacy, limits access, and effectively isolates sections of the internet.

Noncompliant websites such as 4chan and Kiwi Farms have encountered threats of penalties and potential banning in the UK. Both platforms contend that Ofcom lacks authority over them since their servers and operations are located in the United States. This lawsuit represents the most prominent legal challenge to the OSA to date, which has already emerged as one of the most contentious internet statutes in recent history.

In a statement to Mashable, a representative from Ofcom remarked:

“We are aware of this lawsuit. Under the Online Safety Act, any service that has ties to the UK now bears responsibilities to safeguard UK users, regardless of its global location. Nevertheless, the Act does not mandate them to protect users situated elsewhere around the globe.”

Per the lawsuit, 4chan claims that Ofcom has threatened to impose an £18 million ($24 million) fine and cautioned that site operators could even face incarceration should they fail to comply with the Online Safety Act.

“American citizens do not relinquish our constitutional rights merely because Ofcom sends us an email,” Byrne stated in a comment on X. “If foreign nations wish to intimidate Americans, that is their choice. The First Amendment bar stands ready to drag any foreign censor into federal court at any moment to defend any American.”

UPDATE: Aug. 27, 2025, 3:15 p.m. EDT This article was revised to incorporate a statement shared on X from the legal representatives of 4chan and Kiwi Farms.