Earlier today, 4Chan and Kiwi Farms filed a lawsuit against the United Kingdom Office of Communications.
I just finished reading it and, let me tell you, it was a truly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. Put aside any opinions you may have around 4Chan or Kiwi Farms… because this while thing is brilliant. Equal parts “simple but obvious legal challenge” and “tongue in cheek trolling of the British government”.
Below are some of my favorite snippets from the filing, which the legal team made available as a PDF.
To start with… how wild is it that 4Chan and Kiwi Farms (aka “Lolcow, LLC”) have joined forces to file suit against the UK?
Who had that on their Bingo card for 2025?
While the whole suit is truly a sight to behold, the Introduction was my favorite part. Read it. Read every word.
Not an untrue word in there. Not one.
The Internet — and, heck, really just about the entire world of Computing — came out of the USA. And, to this day, the Internet is centralized within the USA. Some other countries really don’t like that.
I’m not a fan of countries attempting to impose their own laws on the citizens of other countries. And it happens far too often (including those examples listed).
A noble and worthy goal: “restrain [the UK government’s] conduct and its continuing egregious violations of Americans’ civil rights, including, without limitation, to the right of freedom of speech.”
Hear! Hear!
A little further down the filing, the lawyers begin giving a history (and geography) lesson to the UK Office of Communications. Specifically how the states of Delaware and West Virginia are not currently British colonies and are not part of the UK.
In short: United States citizens, operating entirely within the United States, do not answer to the UK.
The suite asserts (with good reason) that the UK Office of Communications is, for political reasons, intimidating Americans and attempting to undermine the First Amendment.
So, what releif is being sought by 4Chan and Kiwi Farms?
Pretty simple really: They’re asking a judge to order that the UK’s Office of Communications demands are unenforceable in the USA — and inconsistent with American laws and policies.
And, of course, they’re asking for any “other further relief as the Court deems just and proper.”
I, for one, can’t wait to see how the UK responds.
I'm laughing just thinking about the UK government replying "We refer you to the reply given in the case of Arkell v. Pressdram..." in the legal paperwork, although they probably won't do that.