PART 3Online pornography
14Internet pornography: requirement to prevent access by persons under 18
1
A person contravenes this subsection if the person makes pornographic material available on the internet to persons in the United Kingdom on a commercial basis other than in a way that secures that, at any given time, the material is not normally accessible by persons under the age of 18.
2
The Secretary of State may make regulations specifying, for the purposes of this Part, circumstances in which material is or is not to be regarded as made available on a commercial basis.
3
The regulations may, among other things, prescribe circumstances in which material made available free of charge is or is not to be regarded as made available on a commercial basis.
4
Regulations under subsection (2) may provide for circumstances to be treated as existing where it is reasonable to assume that they exist.
5
Regulations 17 to 20 and 22 of the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/2013) apply in relation to this Part, despite regulation 3(2) of those Regulations.
6
For the purposes of this Part, making material available on the internet does not include making the content of an on-demand programme service available on the internet in the course of providing such a service.
7
In subsection (6), “on-demand programme service” has the meaning given by section 368A of the Communications Act 2003.
8
Regulations under subsection (2) may make different provision for different purposes.
9
Regulations under subsection (2) are to be made by statutory instrument.
10
A statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (2) is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
11
But a statutory instrument containing the first regulations under that subsection may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.