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BBC News
14 minutes ago
- BBC News
4chan will refuse to pay daily UK fines, its lawyer tells BBC
A lawyer representing the online message board 4chan says it won't pay a proposed fine by the UK's media regulator as it enforces the Online Safety to Preston Byrne, managing partner of law firm Byrne & Storm, Ofcom has provisionally decided to impose a £20,000 fine "with daily penalties thereafter" for as long as the site fails to comply with its request."Ofcom's notices create no legal obligations in the United States," he told the BBC, adding he believed the regulator's investigation was part of an "illegal campaign of harassment" against US tech has declined to comment while its investigation continues. "4chan has broken no laws in the United States - my client will not pay any penalty," Mr Byrne began investigating 4chan over whether it was complying with its obligations under the UK's Online Safety in August, it said it had issued 4chan with "a provisional notice of contravention" for failing to comply with two requests for said its investigation would examine whether the message board was complying with the act, including requirements to protect its users from illegal content.4chan has often been at the heart of online controversies in its 22 years, including misogynistic campaigns and conspiracy are anonymous, which can often lead to extreme content being posted. 'First Amendment rights' In a statement posted on X, law firms Byrne & Storm and Coleman Law said 4chan was a US company incorporated in the US, and therefore protected against the UK law."American businesses do not surrender their First Amendment rights because a foreign bureaucrat sends them an email," they wrote."Under settled principles of US law, American courts will not enforce foreign penal fines or censorship codes. "If necessary, we will seek appropriate relief in US federal court to confirm these principles."They said authorities in the US had been "briefed" on their response to Ofcom's statement concludes by calling on the Trump administration to invoke all diplomatic and legal levers to protect American businesses from "extraterritorial censorship mandates".Ofcom has previously said the Online Safety Act only requires services to take action to protect users based in the UK. UK backs down Some American politicians - particularly the Trump administration, its allies and officials - have pushed back against what they regard as overreach in the regulation of US tech firms by the UK and EU. A perceived impact of the Online Safety Act on free speech has been a particular concern, but other laws have also been the source of 19 August, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the UK had withdrawn its controversial demand for a "backdoor" in an Apple data protection system - saying she worked with the President and Vice President to get the UK to abandon its days later, US Federal Trade Commission chairman Andrew Ferguson warned big tech firms they could be violating US law if they weakened privacy and data security requirements by complying with international laws such as the Online Safety Act."Foreign governments seeking to limit free expression or weaken data security in the United States might count on the fact that companies have an incentive to simplify their operations and legal compliance measures by applying uniform policies across jurisdictions," he 4chan does successfully fight the fine in the US courts, Ofcom may have other options."Enforcing against an offshore provider is tricky," Emma Drake, partner of online safety and privacy at law firm Bird and Bird, told the BBC. "Ofcom can instead ask a court to order other services to disrupt a provider's UK business, such as requiring a service's removal from search results or blocking of UK payments."If Ofcom doesn't think this will be enough to prevent significant harm, it can even ask that ISPs be ordered to block UK access." Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Consumer confidence reaches highest point of year despite ‘clouds on horizon'
Consumer confidence has reached its highest point this year amid 'clouds on the horizon' in the form of inflation and rising unemployment, according to a long-running survey. GfK's Consumer Confidence Index increased by two points to minus 17 in August, driven by improved personal finances likely thanks to the latest cut to interest rates. Earlier this month, the Bank of England voted to cut its base interest rate from 4.25% to 4%. Confidence in personal finances over both the last year and the coming 12 months rose three points, to minus four and positive five respectively. The measure for the general economic situation of the country during the last 12 months is up two points to minus 42 – seven points worse than a year ago – while the expectations for the next 12 months fell one point to minus 30 – 15 points worse than last August. The major purchase index – a measure of confidence in buying big ticket items – is up two points to minus 13. Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK, said: 'The biggest changes in August are in confidence in personal finances, with the scores looking back and ahead a year each up by three points. 'This is likely due to the Bank of England's August 7 cut in interest rates, delivering the lowest cost of borrowing for more than two years. 'The improved sentiment on personal finances is welcome, but there are many clouds on the horizon in the form of inflation – the highest since January 2024 – and rising unemployment. 'There's no shortage of speculation, too, about what the autumn budget will bring in terms of tax rises.' He added: 'While August's overall index score of minus 17 is the best this year, consumer confidence continues to move in a very narrow band, and there's no sense that it is about to break out into fresher, more optimistic territory. 'The UK's consumers are still in wait-and-see mode, and any surprises could result in sudden and sharp changes in sentiment.'
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Freetrade's stocks and shares Isa will soon be FREE: How does it compare to other platforms?
Products featured in this article are independently selected by This is Money's specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence. Stocks and shares Isas will be free on investment platform Freetrade from 1 September in a shake-up of its service. Currently you can only open Freetrade's stocks and shares Isa on its Standard plan, which costs £5.99 when paying monthly or £59.88 annually. But it will soon be made available on the free Basic plan, which could rack up savings of £72 a year for Isa customers that pay monthly. The provider is also boosting the choice of investments available to free customers and giving them the ability to use automated order tools, including recurring orders, limit orders and stop losses. Viktor Nebehaj, CEO of Freetrade, said: 'The Isa should be the default investing account, positioned as a gateway for anyone looking to get started. 'That's why we're making our Isa free and opening up our full investment universe to everyone.' The price cut makes Freetrade* a compelling option for Isa investors among a growing band of investment platforms that don't charge account fees, including InvestEngine* Prosper* and Trading 212*. How do Freetrade's plans stack up? This is Money says: By slashing fees for its stocks and shares Isa and introducing a full range of investments to free customers from 1 September, Freetrade* will become a much more competitive option for cost-conscious investors. However, FX fees on the free plan are high – currently Freetrade charges 0.99 per cent. In comparison Trading 212* charges 0.15 per cent. We like that Freetrade is making more mutual funds available to those on its Standard plan, which could give these investors a reason to keep paying the fee. Just 28 Vanguard funds are currently available, but the platform is planning to introduce hundreds more over the coming months. An increased choice of investments for paying customers should lead to the platform more keenly competing against the likes of AJ Bell and Interactive Investor, especially when paying annually. Freetrade is also currently running a summer offer that gives 1 per cent cashback when topping up an Isa with £5,000 or more, capped at £200. For a selection of other free platforms to try for your investment Isa consider: InvestEngine*: A streamlined platform for investing in ETFs only, which could suit investors who want to build a portfolio with minimum fuss. Read more in our InvestEngine review. Trading 212*: This well-known platform has no account fees and offers access to over 13,000 global stocks and ETFs. Read more in our Trading 212 review. Prosper*: A unique proposition among investment platforms, with potentially zero-cost investing on offer – Prosper has no account fees and can refund the ongoing fees on around 30 index funds. If you're just starting out on your investing journey, read more about investing for beginners in our guide. Compare the best DIY investing platforms Investing online is simple, cheap and can be done from your computer, tablet or phone at a time and place that suits you. When it comes to choosing a DIY investing platform, stocks & shares Isa, self invested personal pension, or a general investing account, the range of options might seem overwhelming. > This is Money's full guide to the best investing platforms Every provider has a slightly different offering, charging more or less for trading or holding shares and giving access to a different range of stocks, funds and investment trusts. When weighing up the right one for you, it's important to to look at the service that it offers, along with administration charges and dealing fees, plus any other extra costs. We highlight the main players in the table below but would advise doing your own research and considering the points in our full guide to the best investment accounts. Platforms featured below are independently selected by This is Money's specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence. Freetrade * Basic account free, Standard with Isa £5.99, Plus £11.99 Stocks, investment trusts and ETFs. No funds Free n/a n/a More details Hargreaves Lansdown * 0.45% Capped at £45 for shares, trusts, ETFs Free £11.95 Free Free More details Interactive Investor* £4.99 per month under £50k, £11.99 above, £10 extra for Sipp Free trade worth £3.99 per month (does not apply to £4.99 plan) £3.99 £3.99 Free £0.99 More details InvestEngine * Free Only ETFs. Managed service is 0.25% Not available Free Free Free More details iWeb Free £5 £5 n/a 2%, max £5 More details Trading 212* Free Stocks, investment trusts and ETFs. Not available Free n/a Free More details
