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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Longer jail terms for viewing terror content online | Longer jail terms for viewing terror content online |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| People who repeatedly view terrorist content online will face up to 15 years in prison, the home secretary has told the Conservative Party conference. | |
| Amber Rudd set out her intention to change the law to increase the maximum penalty from 10 years. | |
| The offence of possessing information likely to be useful to a terrorist will also apply to material viewed repeatedly or streamed online. | The offence of possessing information likely to be useful to a terrorist will also apply to material viewed repeatedly or streamed online. |
| Currently it applies only to material that is downloaded and stored. | Currently it applies only to material that is downloaded and stored. |
| An example cited was of a male who streamed bomb-making videos on YouTube but could not be charged with a terror offence because he had not saved them. | |
| The changes to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 will be designed to safeguard those who click on a link by mistake, or who could argue that they did so out of curiosity rather than with criminal intent. | |
| 'Despicable' | 'Despicable' |
| A defence of "reasonable excuse" would still be available to academics, journalists or others who may have a legitimate reason to view such material. | A defence of "reasonable excuse" would still be available to academics, journalists or others who may have a legitimate reason to view such material. |
| The new 15-year sentence would also apply to those who publish information about members of the armed forces, police or intelligence services for the purposes of preparing acts of terrorism. | The new 15-year sentence would also apply to those who publish information about members of the armed forces, police or intelligence services for the purposes of preparing acts of terrorism. |
| Analysis: Moving legislation | Analysis: Moving legislation |
| By BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani | By BBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani |
| There are a number of offences that cover possession or sharing of terrorist material, and their use has changed over time. | There are a number of offences that cover possession or sharing of terrorist material, and their use has changed over time. |
| The most important of these is Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which makes it a crime to possess material that is useful for terrorism. | The most important of these is Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which makes it a crime to possess material that is useful for terrorism. |
| Originally, that would have meant possessing items of practical use such as chemical or mechanical parts or tools that could be used in bomb making. | Originally, that would have meant possessing items of practical use such as chemical or mechanical parts or tools that could be used in bomb making. |
| But, in practice, it has been used widely to prosecute supporters of banned organisations who have electronic copies of bomb-making manuals, ideological essays or sermons, and other written or video material that can be used to promote a terrorist cause. | But, in practice, it has been used widely to prosecute supporters of banned organisations who have electronic copies of bomb-making manuals, ideological essays or sermons, and other written or video material that can be used to promote a terrorist cause. |
| If someone shares material, they can be prosecuted for the offence of dissemination of terrorist material. | If someone shares material, they can be prosecuted for the offence of dissemination of terrorist material. |
| If they use it to encourage or glorify a banned group or its actions, that's also a crime. | If they use it to encourage or glorify a banned group or its actions, that's also a crime. |
| Streaming is becoming an increasingly common way for criminal and extremist material to be viewed online and there is a "gap" in the law as it stands, she said. | Streaming is becoming an increasingly common way for criminal and extremist material to be viewed online and there is a "gap" in the law as it stands, she said. |
| She also said the government was continuing to "urgently press" internet companies to do more to stop such material being available on their platforms in the first place. | She also said the government was continuing to "urgently press" internet companies to do more to stop such material being available on their platforms in the first place. |
| It comes a day after Ms Rudd accused technology experts of "patronising" and "sneering" at politicians who tried to regulate their industry. | It comes a day after Ms Rudd accused technology experts of "patronising" and "sneering" at politicians who tried to regulate their industry. |
| Speaking at a Spectator fringe meeting in Manchester, Ms Rudd said Silicon Valley had to do more to help the authorities access messages on end-to-end encrypted services such as WhatsApp. | Speaking at a Spectator fringe meeting in Manchester, Ms Rudd said Silicon Valley had to do more to help the authorities access messages on end-to-end encrypted services such as WhatsApp. |
| And she said she did not need to understand how they worked to know they were "helping criminals". | And she said she did not need to understand how they worked to know they were "helping criminals". |