How 4chan ended 2022 after years of controversy and turmoil

On June 1, 2022, 4chan, a website known for its controversial and influential nature, faced permanent shutdown due to a sequence of legal actions, cyberattacks, and public outrage.

Background 4chan

Established in 2003 by Christopher Poole, known as “moot” online, 4chan originated as an imageboard inspired by the Japanese website Futaba Channel. Initially centered around anime and manga, the platform quickly diversified its content to include various topics like video games, politics, music, sports, and adult content. Notorious for its unmoderated and anonymous structure, 4chan allowed users to post without registration or accountability, becoming a breeding ground for internet memes like lolcats, rickrolling, Anonymous, and Pepe the Frog.

Despite its cultural impact, 4chan drew widespread criticism for hosting and promoting illegal, violent, and hateful content, including child pornography, gore, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, harassment, doxing, hacking, trolling, conspiracy theories, misinformation, and propaganda. The site was often associated with numerous scandals and crimes, such as the Gamergate controversy, the Fappening leak of celebrity nude photos, the PizzaGate conspiracy theory, the Christchurch mosque shootings, and the QAnon movement.

Shutdown

The shutdown of 4chan was triggered by a series of events that occurred in late 2021 and early 2022.

In October 2021, a 4chan user asserted to have breached Hunter Biden’s iCloud account, subsequently posting personal photos and videos on the platform. This release triggered widespread condemnation from the media and the public, alleging a breach of Biden’s privacy and security. The FBI initiated an investigation, reportedly tracing the hacker to a Russian IP address.
By November 2021, Reddit had banned several subreddits associated with or inspired by 4chan, including r/The_Donald, r/Incels, r/WatchPeopleDie, r/ChapoTrapHouse, and r/GenderCritical. Reddit cited violations of its content policy on hate speech, violence, harassment, and misinformation. The platform also announced collaboration with law enforcement to combat illegal or harmful content.
In December 2021, Indian internet service providers (ISPs) blocked access to 4chan as part of a nationwide censorship effort against websites deemed offensive or harmful to national security. The Indian government warned 4chan administrators to remove content violating Indian laws or face legal action.
January 2022 witnessed a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on 4chan’s servers, rendering the site inaccessible. The attack, claimed by the hacker group “Anonymous,” was purportedly in retaliation for 4chan hosting and spreading hate speech, violence, and misinformation. Anonymous threatened to expose user and moderator information unless such activities ceased.

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In February 2022, a lawsuit was filed against 4chan by cyberbullying and harassment victims, alleging emotional distress and physical harm. Plaintiffs sought damages and an injunction to halt 4chan’s operations, naming Christopher Poole as a defendant, accusing him of negligence and complicity.
By March 2022, Christopher Poole announced his resignation as 4chan’s owner and administrator, citing fatigue from legal troubles and public backlash. He handed control to a new team of moderators, expressing regret for any harm caused and hoping for an improved site reputation.
In April 2022, the new moderators announced rule changes to enhance safety and friendliness on 4chan, including banning illegal, violent, hateful, or disturbing content, removing doxing, implementing stricter moderation and verification, and cooperating with law enforcement. A registration system requiring account creation and identity verification was also introduced.
However, in May 2022, these changes faced vehement resistance and backlash from many loyal 4chan users who accused the new team of betraying the platform’s original ethos of anonymity and freedom. Users pledged non-compliance, threatening boycotts, spam, offensive content posting, server hacks, and migration to alternative platforms, such as Telegram or Discord. They also vowed to expose and harass the new moderation team.

Conclusion

On June 1, 2022, succumbing to months of upheaval, conflict, and mounting challenges, the new team of moderators made the decision to permanently shut down 4chan. Acknowledging their inability to navigate the legal, technical, financial, and social complexities associated with running the site, they conceded that 4chan had evolved into a toxic and irreparable environment. In an apology, they expressed remorse to those affected by 4chan’s content or behavior and extended gratitude to their supporters. Encouraging users to accept their decision and move forward, they officially closed the chapter on 4chan.

The closure of 4chan marked the conclusion of an internet era. colonianarinense For nearly two decades, 4chan had wielded significant influence as one of the most controversial websites, molding online culture, politics, and society. Simultaneously, it had gained notoriety as one of the internet’s most problematic and hazardous platforms, disseminating hate, violence, and misinformation. The future of 4chan’s users, moderators, and content hangs in uncertainty, with some potentially attempting to revive or recreate the platform elsewhere, while others may distance themselves or regret their involvement. The legacy of 4chan is likely to be multifaceted, with some remembering it nostalgically, while others cast it in a harsh light.