Preston Byrne says Ofcom cannot enforce the Online Safety Act in America
Preston ByrneLawyer representing 4chan
Byrne says Ofcom cannot enforce the Online Safety Act in America.
“Ofcom can’t enforce the Online Safety Act in America.”
Original text
Analysis
Where this statement fits
4chan lawyer Preston Byrne says Ofcom cannot enforce its fines in the United States
Preston Byrne, 4chan's lawyer, calls Ofcom's warning about foreign collection limits a practical defeat. Ofcom defends its UK safety duties and describes enforcement options. A U.S. court dismissed 4chan's challenge on immunity grounds without deciding a future collection case.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
The court grants Ofcom sovereign immunity. Its discussion of potential defenses to future enforcement is conditional and does not decide a collection proceeding.
Analysis
About this source
4chan's lawyer argues that U.S. courts would prevent collection. The headline and conclusion are his interpretation, not a judicial declaration of victory.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Byrne discusses Dawes's comments about recovery through foreign courts and quotes the U.S. court's enforcement discussion.
After the quotation
He acknowledges possible UK blocking and advocates U.S. shield legislation.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Ofcom's asserted ability to enforce its action against 4chan in the United States, Byrne explicitly denies enforceability. He does not describe a merits judgment already granting 4chan relief.
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More from this case
Read the full caseOfcom's Melanie Dawes says some online safety fines may be unrecoverable if foreign courts intervene
Ofcom
“We won't be able to recover every single fine on online safety. If foreign courts decide to try and get in our way, there will be a point at which we have to accept that we won't be able to recover that money. But we will always seek to go as far as we can.”Read statement
Ofcom says online services reaching UK users must comply with UK law
Ofcom
“As in other industries, companies that provide an online service to people in the UK must comply with UK laws.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Preston Byrne says Ofcom cannot enforce the Online Safety Act in America". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6338-byrne-says-ofcom-cannot-enforce-the-online-safety