Section 368O: Power to require information, Communications Act 2003

The appropriate regulatory authority may by notice require a person within subsection (5) to provide them with any information that they require for the purpose of carrying out their functions under this Part.

OFCOM may by notice require a person within subsection (5) to provide them with any information that they require for the purpose of carrying out their functions under Part 5 of the 1996 Act, so far as relating to Tier 1 services.

The power conferred by subsection (1) or (2) includes power to require a person within subsection (5) to obtain or generate information.

The power conferred by subsection (1) or (2) must be exercised in a way that is proportionate to the use to which the information is to be put by OFCOM.

The persons within this subsection are—

a provider of an on-demand programme service or a non-UK on-demand programme service;

a person who was a provider of an on-demand programme service or a non-UK on-demand programme service at a time to which the required information relates;

a person who is not within paragraph (a) or (b) but who appears to the appropriate regulatory authority to have, or to be able to obtain or generate, information required by them as mentioned in subsection (1).

The information that the appropriate regulatory authority may require under subsection (1) includes, in particular, information that they require for any one or more of the following purposes—

the purpose of determining whether a person is a provider of an on-demand programme service or a non-UK on-demand programme service;

the purpose of determining whether a person is a provider of a Tier 1 service;

the purpose of determining whether there has been any change of circumstances that may affect a determination mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b);

the purpose of assessing compliance with any duty imposed on a provider of an on-demand programme service by or by virtue of Chapter 2;

the purpose of assessing compliance with any duty imposed on a provider of a Tier 1 service by or by virtue of Chapter 3;

the purpose of an investigation being carried out by the authority to determine whether a contravention of section 368BA, 368CB or 368D has occurred or is occurring;

the purpose of an investigation being carried out by the authority to determine whether there has been a failure to take an appropriate measure for the purpose mentioned in section 368E(4) or a failure to implement such a measure effectively;

the purpose of an investigation being carried out by the authority to determine whether a contravention of section 368HC, 368HJ(1), 368HK(2) or 368HP has occurred or is occurring;

the purpose of ascertaining or calculating applicable qualifying revenue under section 368J;

the purpose of determining the appropriate fee that a provider is required to pay under section 368NA.

A notice under subsection (1) or (2) (an "information notice") must—

specify or describe the information to be provided,

specify why the information is required,

specify the form and manner in which the information must be provided, and

contain information about the consequences of not complying with the notice.

An information notice must specify when the information must be provided which may be—

on or by a specified date, or

within a specified period.

The power conferred by subsection (1) or (2) does not include power to require the provision of information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege, or (in Scotland) to confidentiality of communications, could be maintained in legal proceedings.

A person to whom an information notice is given must provide the information in accordance with any requirements included in the notice (subject to subsection (11)).

The duty under subsection (10) does not require a disclosure of information if that disclosure would contravene the data protection legislation (but, in determining whether a disclosure would do so, that duty is to be taken into account).

In this section—

"data protection legislation" has the same meaning as in the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 3 of that Act);
"information" includes technical information and material such as videos, audiovisual commercial communications, screenshots and archived material.

Section 368O: Power to require information

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