Latest news with #ChristopherPoole
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ofcom investigates notorious 4chan forum linked to mass shootings
A notorious online message board linked to mass shootings in the United States is facing an investigation by British officials. 4chan is to be investigated by Ofcom, Britain's tech regulator, under the Online Safety Act over the suspected spread of illegal online posts. The forum, which became known for its users' vociferous support for Donald Trump and has been blamed for radicalising mass shooters in the US, is one of nine websites that are the subject of new investigations by Ofcom. The regulator said it had received reports of 'illegal content and activity' being shared on 4chan, which had not responded to its requests for information. The Online Safety Act requires websites to take action against illegal online posts, such as terror content, inciting violence, racial hatred and extreme pornography. Originally launched in 2003 by American developer Christopher Poole, who is referred to by the online moniker 'moot', 4chan is known for its lack of moderation and has long been a byword for the extreme fringes of the internet. It is associated with hacker groups and the far Right. Anonymous members of 4chan's 'Politically Incorrect' forum were enthusiastic supporters of Mr Trump during his 2016 election campaign. 4chan users were also involved in spreading conspiracy theories such as QAnon and 'Pizzagate', which promoted unsubstantiated claims of a Democratic paedophile ring. The site was also the source of claims that Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and sex trafficker, had died, 40 minutes before the news broke in the US media. 4chan was blamed by New York's attorney general for 'radicalising' 18-year-old Payton Gendron, a mass shooter who killed 10 people in Buffalo in May 2022. A report alleged 4chan had been 'formative' in 'indoctrinating him into hateful, white supremacist internet subcultures'. The investigation into 4chan comes as Ofcom ramps up its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, which came into full effect in April this year. The law gives Ofcom the power to investigate websites for failing to do enough to block and remove illegal content. Offending websites can be fined up to 10pc of their turnover, or £18m. They can also be blocked from the UK, while senior managers can receive jail terms for repeated failings. Already, several fringe websites have pulled their services from the UK after facing regulatory scrutiny from Ofcom. Gab, a social network that had courted Right-wing commentators, message board site Kiwi Farms and YouTube rival Bitchute have all blocked UK visitors, accusing the Online Safety Act of interfering with free expression. Ofcom also opened investigations into eight other sites, including a pornography provider accused of failing to stop children accessing its websites and seven file-sharing websites that have allegedly failed to stop the spread of child sexual abuse material. Since 2015, 4chan has been owned by Japanese internet entrepreneur Hiroyuki Nishimura. 4chan was contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Happened to 4chan? Controversial Website Down With Errors
The popular internet forum is currently experiencing widespread issues, with users reporting that the site is down or displaying errors. The sudden outage has sparked a wave of speculation across social media, with users questioning what happened. As such, people are wondering whether 4chan was taken down or hacked. So, here are more details about what happened with 4chan and the problems faced by users. Many users are currently unable to access 4chan, one of the internet's most well-known anonymous forums. Reports started coming in late Monday and continued into Tuesday morning, with Downdetector showing a spike in outage complaints. As of now, 4chan's website either won't load or is showing error messages for a large number of visitors. Speculation about a possible hack quickly began spreading across social media platforms. Users pointed to strange activity on the site, including the brief reappearance of a previously banned board and a message that read, 'U GOT HACKED XD.' Some even claimed that screenshots from 4chan's internal systems had been leaked to a competing forum called along with the usernames and email addresses of people believed to be 4chan moderators and administrators. (via Wired) Though it's not clear if this data is real, the idea that private information may have been exposed has caused concern. 4chan allows people to post without revealing their identity. However, the platform still logs user data, which has caused significant concern. Adding to the concerns are claims that 4chan is still running outdated software, including an old version of PHP. This has led some users to believe the site may have been vulnerable to attacks for a while. However, none of these details have been confirmed by 4chan or verified through official channels. The website was founded in 2003 by Christopher Poole and sold to Hiroyuki Nishimura in 2015. As of now, there has been no public statement about the incident. The post What Happened to 4chan? Controversial Website Down With Errors appeared first on - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘4chan Taken Down' Trends as Controversial Site Slows & Errors Appear
The popular internet forum is currently experiencing widespread issues, with users reporting that the site is down or displaying errors. The sudden outage has sparked a wave of speculation across social media, with users questioning what happened. As such, people are wondering whether 4chan was taken down or hacked. So, here are more details about what happened with 4chan and the problems faced by users. Many users are currently unable to access 4chan, one of the internet's most well-known anonymous forums. Reports started coming in late Monday and continued into Tuesday morning, with Downdetector showing a spike in outage complaints. As of now, 4chan's website either won't load or is showing error messages for a large number of visitors. Speculation about a possible hack quickly began spreading across social media platforms. Users pointed to strange activity on the site, including the brief reappearance of a previously banned board and a message that read, 'U GOT HACKED XD.' Some even claimed that screenshots from 4chan's internal systems had been leaked to a competing forum called along with the usernames and email addresses of people believed to be 4chan moderators and administrators. (via Wired) Though it's not clear if this data is real, the idea that private information may have been exposed has caused concern. 4chan allows people to post without revealing their identity. However, the platform still logs user data, which has caused significant concern. Adding to the concerns are claims that 4chan is still running outdated software, including an old version of PHP. This has led some users to believe the site may have been vulnerable to attacks for a while. However, none of these details have been confirmed by 4chan or verified through official channels. The website was founded in 2003 by Christopher Poole and sold to Hiroyuki Nishimura in 2015. As of now, there has been no public statement about the incident. Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on The post '4chan Taken Down' Trends as Controversial Site Slows & Errors Appear appeared first on Mandatory.
Express Tribune
15-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Thousands report 4Chan down, speculation over leaked data and suspected hack
Thousands of users reported outages on 4Chan as the controversial site went offline early Tuesday, with reports suggesting hackers may have leaked internal emails, chat logs and even the full database. Controversial message board 4Chan is experiencing a widespread outage, with Downdetector receiving over 1,200 complaints by 4 a.m. ET. Users across the United States and the United Kingdom reported being unable to access the site, prompting panic online. Speculation of a major hack began circulating on social media soon after, with some users claiming that hackers had "dumped the entire database." Others alleged that lead admin and janitor emails, contact information, and chat logs had been leaked. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, 'Emails and contact info leaked,' while another raised concerns that if the site's source code has been compromised, it could result in unrestricted access to user IP addresses. The incident has sparked renewed attention on 4Chan's security infrastructure. 'Badly formatted – bring back Moot!' one user quipped, referencing Christopher Poole, the site's original founder who left in 2015. Others blamed outdated software for leaving vulnerabilities open to exploitation. Downdetector data shows 71% of reported issues relate directly to the website, with continuing updates indicating the problem is ongoing. The platform has long been at the centre of online controversies, including the 2014 leak of intimate celebrity photos, known widely as "The Fappening," which included images of actress Jennifer Lawrence. There is no official word from 4Chan's administrators at this time. Users are being advised to monitor trusted sources for updates.
