A U.S. court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by internet forums 4chan and Kiwi Farms against the UK's media regulator, Ofcom. The case was heard in Washington, D.C., where the court ruled that it did not have the authority to hear the matter. The lawsuit stemmed from disputes between the forum owners and Ofcom, which is responsible for enforcing the UK's Online Safety Act. This law aims to protect children and vulnerable users from harmful content online, but it has sparked debates over its potential impact on free speech. The Online Safety Act has become a point of contention between U.S. tech companies and the UK government. The British government has stated it fully supports Ofcom's regulatory efforts. 4chan and Kiwi Farms, both known for hosting content that includes pornography and conspiracy theories, claimed that communications from Ofcom interfered with their constitutional rights and business operations. Ofcom, however, accused the platforms of not responding to its legal requests for information about their content. In August 2025, Ofcom issued 4chan a "provisional notice of contravention," which warned of potential fines under the new regulatory regime. This was the first such penalty issued under the Online Safety Act. The notice included a £20,000 ($27,000) fine and an additional £100 daily fine for up to 60 days if the platform failed to comply. 4chan responded by filing a lawsuit in the same month, but the penalty was ultimately enforced in October. The U.S. court ruled that the case should be handled in British courts, as the companies do not operate within the UK. The court stated that if Ofcom secured a judgment, it would likely need to be enforced in the U.S. through U.S. courts. The judge noted that the lawsuit failed because it attempted to use U.S. courts to stop Ofcom rather than to protect the companies from potential enforcement actions. An Ofcom spokesperson said the court's decision confirmed the regulator's right to enforce UK laws and emphasized its mission to create a safer online environment for UK users.