Online Safety Act 2023

183 Offences of sending or showing flashing images electronically E+W+N.I.

(1) A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a) A sends a communication by electronic means which consists of or includes flashing images (see subsection (13)),

(b) either condition 1 or condition 2 is met, and

(c) A has no reasonable excuse for sending the communication.

(2) Condition 1 is that—

(a) at the time the communication is sent, it is reasonably foreseeable that an individual with epilepsy would be among the individuals who would view it, and

(b) A sends the communication with the intention that such an individual will suffer harm as a result of viewing the flashing images.

(3) Condition 2 is that, when sending the communication—

(a) A believes that an individual (B)—

(i) whom A knows to be an individual with epilepsy, or

(ii) whom A suspects to be an individual with epilepsy,

will, or might, view it, and

(b) A intends that B will suffer harm as a result of viewing the flashing images.

(4) In subsections (2)(a) and (3)(a), references to viewing the communication are to be read as including references to viewing a subsequent communication forwarding or sharing the content of the communication.

(5) The exemptions contained in section 180 apply to an offence under subsection (1) as they apply to an offence under section 179.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (1), a provider of an internet service by means of which a communication is sent is not to be regarded as a person who sends a communication.

(7) In the application of subsection (1) to a communication consisting of or including a hyperlink to other content, references to the communication are to be read as including references to content accessed directly via the hyperlink.

(8) A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a) A shows an individual (B) flashing images by means of an electronic communications device,

(b) when showing the images—

(i) A knows that B is an individual with epilepsy, or

(ii) A suspects that B is an individual with epilepsy,

(c) when showing the images, A intends that B will suffer harm as a result of viewing them, and

(d) A has no reasonable excuse for showing the images.

(9) An offence under subsection (1) or (8) cannot be committed by a healthcare professional acting in that capacity.

(10) A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (8) is liable—

(a) on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine (or both);

(b) on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (or both);

(c) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or a fine (or both).

(11) It does not matter for the purposes of this section whether flashing images may be viewed at once (for example, a GIF that plays automatically) or only after some action is performed (for example, pressing play).

(12) In this section—

(a) references to sending a communication include references to causing a communication to be sent;

(b) references to showing flashing images include references to causing flashing images to be shown.

(13) In this section—

• “electronic communications device” means equipment or a device that is capable of transmitting images by electronic means;

• “flashing images” means images which carry a risk that an individual with photosensitive epilepsy who viewed them would suffer a seizure as a result;

• “harm” means—

  (a)

  a seizure, or

  (b)

  alarm or distress;

• “individual with epilepsy” includes, but is not limited to, an individual with photosensitive epilepsy;

• “send” includes transmit and publish (and related expressions are to be read accordingly).

Commencement Information

I1 S. 183 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 240(1)

I2 S. 183 in force at 31.1.2024 by S.I. 2024/31, reg. 2