Ofcom Claims Sovereign Immunity While Asserting Power to Regulate Foreign Companies
By
alecmuffett
The kind of bagel that ruins lesser bagels for you.
Summary
British regulator Ofcom is facing criticism after lawyer Preston Byrne published correspondence revealing Ofcom's legal stance claiming 'sovereign immunity' to defend itself while asserting authority to regulate foreign companies under the Online Safety Act. The article criticizes Ofcom for making Britain appear 'very silly' and suggests the regulator's actions reflect outdated colonial-era attitudes, particularly in its approach to regulating international entities while claiming immunity for itself.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledOfcom — driven by the letter of British law that they are bound to follow, but still Ofcom — are quietly making Britain look (a) very silly and (b) as if we haven't yet shucked-off the American Revolution, let alone colonialism.
Preston Byrne, lawyer for 4Chan, has published the (apparently full) correspondence between himself and Ofcom from the past few months.
The Act explicitly grants Ofcom the legal authority to regulate online safety for individuals in the United Kingdom.
Ofcom notes: (to summarise) The Act explicitly grants Ofcom the legal authority to regulate online safety for individuals in the United Kingdom.
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