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0 pointsNicuCalcea5mo ago0 comments

> under the assumption that they are aware of every possible law in existence

That's why Ofcom started the correspondence, to inform 4chan of laws it may not have been aware of.

> Someone in the [US] can't expect to have reasonable influence over the laws in the [UK] that they're now required to follow

UK companies comply with US laws all the time if they want to continue serving US audiences. I wish this wasn't the case, but this isn't new. Similarly, lots of US news websites aren't available in the EU/UK because they don't comply with GDPR. None of this is new, there's lots of precedent for it.

> You're still trying to apply rules for jurisdiction, that don't map well to the Internet

Sure they do. When I go to boards.4chan.org, the server recognises my request, including where it's coming from, and returns some content. Similarly, when I buy lemonade from a company, they see my shipping address and ships the lemonade. Seems to me like it maps pretty well.

> To call internet geolocation complex or error prone would be an understatement

All other service providers have imposed IP-based limits and that has satisfied Ofcom, so no need to make it more complex than necessary.

> Legal or not, unreasonable demands deserve rejection.

Of course, 4chan is free to reject the demands, just like The Pirate Bay (based in Sweden) have rejected demands from the US government, that was always an option. Ofcom is making the demands to then be able to enforce the OSA, for example by blocking 4chan, without 4chan saying they were not aware of the demands.

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grayhatter5mo ago

> Sure they do. When I go to boards.4chan.org, the server recognises my request, including where it's coming from, and returns some content. Similarly, when I buy lemonade from a company, they see my shipping address and ships the lemonade. Seems to me like it maps pretty well.

How do you suspect a given IP address maps to a geographical location?

Does ofcom supply a list of IP addresses based in the UK? What if it's a US resident using a VPN or other anonymizing tool such as Tor?

NicuCalceaOP5mo ago

Like I said, Ofcom is satisfied with IP-based geolocation implemented by other services, so those what ifs are not relevant.

grayhatter5mo ago

If you don't understand exactly what the parameters are, how can you 1) be sure you're doing it correctly, and not still in violation i.e. has ofcom publicly stated they've reviewed it and agree it's acceptable, or have they just moved on while ominously stating they'll be watching? Seems like a needless risk to hope ofcom doesn't decide they did it wrong and demand retroactive fines. 2) defend the action if they do later to continue or change their mind about if any action is enough?

It's a mistake to ignore the problems and realities of some solution, or half solution, caused a legal demand from without a reasonable claim of jurisdiction.

Honestly, It's a wild take to assert that an ip based geoblock that's guaranteed to be buggy is fine or acceptable just because ofcom hasn't figured out how buggy it actually is yet. Just as it is equally insane to suggest that a foreign government should be able to compel, (or willing to demand) some action by anyone.

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0 pointsNicuCalcea5mo ago0 comments

> under the assumption that they are aware of every possible law in existence

That's why Ofcom started the correspondence, to inform 4chan of laws it may not have been aware of.

> Someone in the [US] can't expect to have reasonable influence over the laws in the [UK] that they're now required to follow

> You're still trying to apply rules for jurisdiction, that don't map well to the Internet

> To call internet geolocation complex or error prone would be an understatement

All other service providers have imposed IP-based limits and that has satisfied Ofcom, so no need to make it more complex than necessary.

> Legal or not, unreasonable demands deserve rejection.

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grayhatter5mo ago

How do you suspect a given IP address maps to a geographical location?

Does ofcom supply a list of IP addresses based in the UK? What if it's a US resident using a VPN or other anonymizing tool such as Tor?

NicuCalceaOP5mo ago

Like I said, Ofcom is satisfied with IP-based geolocation implemented by other services, so those what ifs are not relevant.

grayhatter5mo ago

It's a mistake to ignore the problems and realities of some solution, or half solution, caused a legal demand from without a reasonable claim of jurisdiction.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse