Section 120Admissibility of statements

(1) An explanation given, or information provided, by a person in response to a requirement imposed under or by virtue of section 100, 101 or 106 or paragraph 2(4)(e) or (f), 3(2), 4(2)(i) or (j) or 7(d) of Schedule 12, may, in criminal proceedings, only be used in evidence against that person—

(a)
on a prosecution for an offence under a provision listed in subsection (2), or
(b)
on a prosecution for any other offence where—
- (i)
  in giving evidence that person makes a statement inconsistent with that explanation or information, and
- (ii)
  evidence relating to that explanation or information is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, by that person or on that person’s behalf.

(2) Those provisions are—

(a)
section 69(1),
(b)
section 109(3),
(c)
section 110(4),
(d)
section 111(2),
(e)
section 112(3),
(f)
paragraph 18(1)(c) of Schedule 12,
(g)
section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911 (false statements made otherwise than on oath),
(h)
section 44(2) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (false statements made otherwise than on oath), and
(i)
Article 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979 (S.I. 1979/1714 (N.I. 19)) (false statutory declarations and other false unsworn statements).

Pending amendment (not yet in force)

legislation.gov.uk records the following amendment(s) to this Section that had not been brought into force on 19 September 2026 and are therefore not reflected in the text above:

s. 120(2)(a): coming into force by S.I. 2025/371, reg. 2(1)(f), (2) (only so far as it relates to regulated user-to-user services)

Annotations

Commencement Information

I1 S. 120 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 240(1)
I2 S. 120(1)(2)(b)-(i) in force at 10.1.2024 by S.I. 2023/1420, reg. 2(z15)
I3 S. 120(2)(a) in force at 7.4.2026 for specified purposes by S.I. 2026/262, reg. 2(1)(f)(2)

https://osa.digiphile.law/article/article-120.html

Text as at 19 September 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Online Safety Act 2023. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in September 2026.