The act was proposed to address activities of "hostile states". According to the
Home Office, "After the spate of terrorist attacks of last year and the deadly
nerve agent attack in Salisbury, our intelligence services and police made the case for an update of existing legislation and some new powers to help meet their operational needs and respond to the evolving threats posed by terrorism and hostile state activity." Home Secretary
Sajid Javid said, "This important piece of legislation will allow the police and
MI5 to disrupt threats earlier, and ensure our laws reflect modern use of the internet. It will change existing laws to better manage terrorist offenders and permit more effective investigations." ==See also==