What is Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003?
Communications Act 2003 Section 127(1) covers offensive and threatening messages sent over a “public” electronic communications network. Since 2010 it has increasingly been used to arrest and prosecute individuals for messages posted to sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
What is the purpose of the Communications Act 2003?
In short, the act dictates how people in the UK can access and use telecommunications, including television, phone calls, and, most importantly, the internet. Like the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in the US, it was meant to minimise regulatory burdens and maximise commercial opportunity.
What is communication act in UK?
The act, which came into force on 25 July 2003, superseded the Telecommunications Act 1984. The new act was the responsibility of Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell. It consolidated the telecommunication and broadcasting regulators in the UK, introducing the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as the new industry regulator.
What is a public electronic communications network?
A ‘public electronic communications network’ is defined in section 151 of the Communications Act 2003 as: “an electronic communications network provided wholly or mainly for the purpose of making electronic communications services available to members of the public”.
What does a section 127 mean?
for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, sends by means of a public communications network a message that he knows to be false, causes such a message to be sent; or persistently makes use of a public electronic communications network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or …
What is classed as malicious communications?
Malicious Communications is where someone sends a letter or any other form of communication that is indecent or grossly offensive, threatening, or contains information which is false or believed to be false.
What are the three forms of communication covered under the Malicious Communications Act?
The Malicious Communications Act 1988
- a message which is indecent or grossly offensive;
- a threat; or.
- information which is false and known or believed to be false by the sender; or.
- any article or electronic communication which is, in whole or part, of an indecent or grossly offensive nature.
Is TV Licence an act or law?
A TV Licence is a legal permission to install or use television equipment to receive (i.e. watch or record) TV programmes, as they are being shown on TV or live on an online TV service, and to download or watch BBC programmes on demand, including catch up TV, on BBC iPlayer.
Who does the Telecommunications Act apply to?
Under the Telecommunications Act, there are two types of persons or organisations that can provide carriage services (telecommunications services) to the public— carriers and CSPs. Carriers are defined as those persons who own a telecommunications network unit to supply carriage services to the public.
What is a private communications network?
Private telecommunications network means a telecommunications network built maintained and operated by the Licensee for the exclusive use of the Licensee through which no public telecommunication services may be provided.
What is a communications service provider?
A communications service providers (CSP) offers telecommunications services or some combination of information and media services, content, entertainment and application services over networks, leveraging the network infrastructure as a rich, functional platform.
Is Malicious Communications a serious crime?
Is sending malicious communications a crime? Sending malicious communications is a crime punishable by a sentence of imprisonment, a fine, or a community order, depending on the severity of the offence.