Charged for three clicks of a mouse: online crime and the new counter-terrorism bill
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
The Government is proposing a new counter-terrorism bill. But can it really strike a
balance between liberty and security?
By Hoda Hashem
The UK has a long history of controversial counter-terrorism measures. The most recent is the proposed Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill 2018. Home Secretary Sajid Javid recently denied that the new laws could undermine essential rights and freedoms. Instead, he argued that the bill would strike a balance between liberty and national security.
However, some of the proposed laws could threaten this balance and potentially breach human rights if they pass unchanged.
Arrested for surfing the web?
Under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it’s unlawful to possess material likely to assist a terrorist, including internet downloads. Academics and journalists conducting terrorism-related research can avoid a conviction by proving that they had a ‘reasonable excuse’ for accessing the material.
However, the government wants to extend this law to...
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
