Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019

3 Obtaining or viewing material over the internet

(1) Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (collection of information) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)—

(a) omit “or” at the end of paragraph (a);

(b) after paragraph (b) insert “, or

(c) the person views, or otherwise accesses, by means of the internet a document or record containing information of that kind.”

(3) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) The cases in which a person collects or makes a record for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) include (but are not limited to) those in which the person does so by means of the internet (whether by downloading the record or otherwise).”

(4) After subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) The cases in which a person has a reasonable excuse for the purposes of subsection (3) include (but are not limited to) those in which—

(a) at the time of the person’s action or possession the person did not know, and had no reason to believe, that the document or record in question contained, or was likely to contain, information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, or

(b) the person’s action or possession was for the purposes of—

(i) carrying out work as a journalist, or

(ii) academic research.”