Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Act 2025

48 Key definitions

(1) The following definitions have effect for the purposes of this Part—

• “electronic material” means material in electronic form which consists of or includes—

  (a)

  text or moving or still images, or

  (b)

  speech or music,

• “promoter”, in relation to electronic material, means the person causing the material to be published (but does not include any person who publishes the material as part of that person’s ordinary course of business),

• “published” means transmitted to the public at large, or any section of the public,

• “relevant third party” means any person who undertakes campaigning activities in relation to an election for a relevant Scottish elective office and who is not—

  (a)

  an individual,

  (b)

  a recognised third party, or

  (c)

  a registered party.

(2) In subsection (1) “electronic material” does not include material to the extent that it is received by a person in the form of—

(a) a telephone call made to the person at a telephone number allocated to them in accordance with a national or international numbering plan, or

(b) a short message service text message sent to such a telephone number.

(3) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations amend this section so as to modify the definition of “electronic material”, “promoter” or “published”, or “relevant third party” that for the time being has effect for the purposes of this Part.