Criminal Code Act 1995 (Australia, unsourced)/Chapter 10/10.6/10.6.Div473

Division 473—Preliminary
473.1 Definitions

In this Part:

access in relation to material includes:


 * (a) the display of the material by a computer or any other output of the material from a computer; or


 * (b) the copying or moving of the material to any place in a computer or to a data storage device; or


 * (c) in the case of material that is a program—the execution of the program.

account identifier means:


 * (a) something that:


 * (i) contains subscription‑specific secure data; and


 * (ii) is installed, or capable of being installed, in a mobile telecommunications device; or


 * (b) anything else that:


 * (i) allows a particular mobile telecommunications account to be identified; and


 * (ii) is prescribed by the regulations as an account identifier for the purposes of this Part.

Note:         Paragraph (a)—This would include a SIM card.

carriage service provider has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

Note:         See also section 474.3 respecting persons who are taken to be carriage service providers in relation to certain matters.

carrier has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

Note:         See also section 474.3 respecting persons who are taken to be carriers in relation to certain matters.

carry includes transmit, switch and receive.

child abuse material means:


 * (a) material that depicts a person, or a representation of a person, who:


 * (i) is, or appears to be, under 18 years of age; and


 * (ii) is, or appears to be, a victim of torture, cruelty or physical abuse;

and does this in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, offensive; or


 * (b) material that describes a person who:


 * (i) is, or is implied to be, under 18 years of age; and


 * (ii) is, or is implied to be, a victim of torture, cruelty or physical abuse;

and does this in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, offensive.

child pornography material means:


 * (a) material that depicts a person, or a representation of a person, who is, or appears to be, under 18 years of age and who:


 * (i) is engaged in, or appears to be engaged in, a sexual pose or sexual activity (whether or not in the presence of other persons); or


 * (ii) is in the presence of a person who is engaged in, or appears to be engaged in, a sexual pose or sexual activity;

and does this in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, offensive; or


 * (b) material the dominant characteristic of which is the depiction, for a sexual purpose, of:


 * (i) a sexual organ or the anal region of a person who is, or appears to be, under 18 years of age; or


 * (ii) a representation of such a sexual organ or anal region; or


 * (iii) the breasts, or a representation of the breasts, of a female person who is, or appears to be, under 18 years of age;

in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, offensive; or


 * (c) material that describes a person who is, or is implied to be, under 18 years of age and who:


 * (i) is engaged in, or is implied to be engaged in, a sexual pose or sexual activity (whether or not in the presence of other persons); or


 * (ii) is in the presence of a person who is engaged in, or is implied to be engaged in, a sexual pose or sexual activity;

and does this in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, offensive; or


 * (d) material that describes:


 * (i) a sexual organ or the anal region of a person who is, or is implied to be, under 18 years of age; or


 * (ii) the breasts of a female person who is, or is implied to be, under 18 years of age;

and does this in a way that reasonable persons would regard as being, in all the circumstances, offensive.

communication in the course of telecommunications carriage means a communication that is being carried by a carrier or carriage service provider, and includes a communication that has been collected or received by a carrier or carriage service provider for carriage, but has not yet been delivered by the carrier or carriage service provider.

connected, in relation to a telecommunications network, includes connection otherwise than by means of physical contact (for example, a connection by means of radiocommunication).

control of data, or material that is in the form of data, has the meaning given by section 473.2.

depict includes contain data from which a visual image (whether still or moving) can be generated.

describe includes contain data from which text or sounds can be generated.

emergency call person has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

emergency service number has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

emergency service organisation has the same meaning as in section 147 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.

facility has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

intelligence or security officer means an officer or employee of:


 * (a) the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; or


 * (b) the Australian Secret Intelligence Service; or


 * (c) the Office of National Assessments; or


 * (d) that part of the Department of Defence known as the Defence Signals Directorate; or


 * (e) that part of the Department of Defence known as the Defence Intelligence Organisation;

and includes a staff member (within the meaning of the Intelligence Services Act 2001) of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service or the Defence Signals Directorate.

interception device means an apparatus or device that:


 * (a) is of a kind that is capable of being used to enable a person to intercept a communication passing over a telecommunications system; and


 * (b) could reasonably be regarded as having been designed:


 * (i) for the purpose of; or


 * (ii) for purposes including the purpose of;

using it in connection with the interception of communications passing over a telecommunications system; and


 * (c) is not designed principally for the reception of communications transmitted by radiocommunications.

Terms used in this definition that are defined in the Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979 have the same meaning in this definition as they have in that Act.

Internet content host has the same meaning as in Schedule 5 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

Internet service provider has the same meaning as in Schedule 5 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

law enforcement officer means any of the following:


 * (a) the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, a Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, an AFP employee or a special member of the Australian Federal Police (all within the meaning of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979);


 * (b) a member, or employee, of the police force of a State or Territory;


 * (c) a member of the staff of the Australian Crime Commission (within the meaning of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002);


 * (d) a member of a police force, or other law enforcement agency, of a foreign country;


 * (e) the Director of Public Prosecutions or a person performing a similar function under a law of a State or Territory;


 * (f) a member of the staff of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (within the meaning of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983) or of a similar body established under a law of a State or Territory;


 * (g) a member of the New South Wales Crime Commission or a member of the staff of that Commission;


 * (h) an officer of the Independent Commission Against Corruption of New South Wales, being a person who is an officer as defined by the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 of New South Wales;


 * (i) the Commissioner of the Police Integrity Commission of New South Wales, an Assistant Commissioner of that Commission or a member of the staff of that Commission;


 * (j) an officer of the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia within the meaning of the Corruption and Crime Commission Act 2003 of Western Australia;


 * (k) an authorised commission officer of the Crime and Misconduct Commission of Queensland within the meaning of the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001 of Queensland.

loss means a loss in property, whether temporary or permanent, and includes not getting what one might get.

material includes material in any form, or combination of forms, capable of constituting a communication.

mobile telecommunications account means an account with a carriage service provider for the supply of a public mobile telecommunications service to an end‑user.

mobile telecommunications device means an item of customer equipment (within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997) that is used, or is capable of being used, in connection with a public mobile telecommunications service.

nominated carrier has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

NRS provider has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.

obtaining includes:


 * (a) obtaining for another person; and


 * (b) inducing a third person to do something that results in another person obtaining.

obtaining data, or material that is in the form of data, has the meaning given by section 473.3.

possession of data, or material that is in the form of data, has the meaning given by section 473.2.

producing data, or material that is in the form of data, has the meaning given by section 473.3.

property has the same meaning as in Chapter 7.

public mobile telecommunications service has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

radiocommunication has the same meaning as in the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

serious offence against a foreign law means an offence against a law of a foreign country constituted by conduct that, if it had occurred in Australia, would have constituted a serious offence against a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory.

serious offence against a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory means an offence against a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory that is punishable by imprisonment:


 * (a) for life; or


 * (b) for a period of 5 or more years.

subscription‑specific secure data means data that is used, or is capable of being used, to:


 * (a) allow a carrier to identify a particular mobile telecommunications account (whether an existing account or an account that may be set up in the future); and


 * (b) allow a mobile telecommunications device in which an account identifier that contains the data is installed to access the public mobile telecommunication service to which that account relates.

supplying data, or material that is in the form of data, has the meaning given by section 473.3.

telecommunications device identifier means:


 * (a) an electronic identifier of a mobile telecommunications device that is:


 * (i) installed in the device by the manufacturer; and


 * (ii) is capable of being used to distinguish that particular device from other mobile telecommunications devices; or


 * (b) any other form of identifier that is prescribed by the regulations as a telecommunications device identifier for the purposes of this Part.

Note:         Paragraph (a)—For example, GSM mobile phones use an industry‑recognised International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. This number identifies the particular phone, as compared to the SIM card number which identifies a particular telecommunications account. Carriers are able to block service to lost and stolen mobile phones based on their IMEI numbers.

telecommunications network has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

473.2 Possession or control of data or material in the form of data

A reference in this Part to a person having possession or control of data, or material that is in the form of data, includes a reference to the person:


 * (a) having possession of a computer or data storage device that holds or contains the data; or


 * (b) having possession of a document in which the data is recorded; or


 * (c) having control of data held in a computer that is in the possession of another person (whether inside or outside Australia).

473.3 Producing, supplying or obtaining data or material in the form of data

A reference in this Part to a person producing, supplying or obtaining data, or material that is in the form of data, includes a reference to the person:


 * (a) producing, supplying or obtaining data held or contained in a computer or data storage device; or


 * (b) producing, supplying or obtaining a document in which the data is recorded.

473.4 Determining whether material is offensive

The matters to be taken into account in deciding for the purposes of this Part whether reasonable persons would regard particular material, or a particular use of a carriage service, as being, in all the circumstances, offensive, include:


 * (a) the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults; and


 * (b) the literary, artistic or educational merit (if any) of the material; and


 * (c) the general character of the material (including whether it is of a medical, legal or scientific character).