Computer Misuse Act 1990

Computer Misuse Act 1990 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 05 September 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date.

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the affected provisions when you open the content using the Table of Contents below.

Changes and effects yet to be applied to :

  1. Introductory Text
  2. Computer misuse offences
    1. 1.Unauthorised access to computer material.
    2. 2.Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences.
    3. 3.Unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of computer, etc.
    4. 3ZA.Unauthorised acts causing, or creating risk of, serious damage
    5. 3A.Making, supplying or obtaining articles for use in offence under section 1, 3 or 3ZA
    1. 4.Territorial scope of offences under this Act.
    2. 5.Significant links with domestic jurisdiction.
    3. 6.Territorial scope of inchoate offences related to offences under this Act.
    4. 7.Territorial scope of inchoate offences related to offences under external law corresponding to offences under sections 1 to 3.
    5. 8.Relevance of external law.
    6. 9.British citizenship immaterial.
    1. 10.Savings
    2. 11.Proceedings for offences under section 1.
    3. 12.Conviction of an offence under section 1 in proceedings for an offence under section 2 or 3.
    4. 13.Proceedings in Scotland.
    5. 14.Search warrants for offences under section 1.
    6. 15.Extradition where Schedule 1 to the Extradition Act 1989 applies.
    7. 16.Application to Northern Ireland.
    8. 16A.Northern Ireland: search warrants for offences under section 1
    9. 17.Interpretation.
    10. 18.Citation, commencement etc.

    Options/Help

    Print Options

    Print Table of Contents

    Print The Whole Act

    Legislation is available in different versions:

    Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

    Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

    Opening Options

    Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

    More Resources

    Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

    Timeline of Changes

    This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

    More Resources

    Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

    Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

    All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. This site additionally contains content derived from EUR-Lex, reused under the terms of the Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of documents from the EU institutions. For more information see the EUR-Lex public statement on re-use.

    © Crown and database right