# Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006, Section 47: Misleading messages


(1) A person commits an offence if, by means of wireless telegraphy, he sends or attempts to send a message to which this section applies.
(2) This section applies to a message which, to the person's knowledge—
(a) is false or misleading; and
(b) is likely to prejudice the efficiency of a safety of life service or to endanger the safety of a person or of a ship, aircraft or vehicle.
(3) This section applies in particular to a message which, to the person's knowledge, falsely suggests that a ship or aircraft—
(a) is in distress or in need of assistance; or
(b) is not in distress or not in need of assistance.
(4) A person who commits an offence under this section is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both;
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.
(5) In the application of subsection (4) to Scotland or Northern Ireland the reference to 12 months is to be read as a reference to six months.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/36/section/47 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/wireless-telegraphy-act-2006/section-47
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.