38. Interpretation

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

“computer” means an electronic or similar device having information processing capabilities;

“storage medium” means any [electronic or similar device]

from which information is capable of being reproduced, with or without the aid of any other article or device;

“computer programme” means a set of instructions expressed in words, codes, schemes or any other form, which is capable when incorporated in a medium that the computer can read, of causing a computer to perform or achieve a particular task ;

“computer system” means a computer or group of inter-connected computers, including the internet;

“document” includes an electronic record;

“electronic record” means, information, record or data generated, stored, received or sent in an electronic form or microfilm, or by any other similar means;

“function” in relation to a computer, includes logic, control or carrying out of an arithmetical process, deletion, storage and retrieval and communication to or within a computer;

“information” includes data, text, images, sound, codes, computer programmes, databases or microfilm;

“service provider” means—

(a)

a public or private entity which provides the ability for its customers to communicate by means of a computer system; and

(b)

any other entity that processes or stores computer data or information on behalf of that entity or its customers;

“subscriber information” means any information, contained in the form of computer data or any other form that is held by a service provider, relating to subscribers of its services;

“traffic data” means data—

(a)

that relates to the attributes of a communication by means of a computer system;

(b)

data generated by a computer system that is part of a service provider; and

(c)

which shows communications origin, destination, route, time, data, size, duration or details of subscriber information.