UK Investigatory Powers Act 2016

The Act sets out when public authorities may interfere with privacy to obtain communications. Part 1 sets general privacy duties and offences of unlawful interception and unlawful obtaining of communications data. Later Parts regulate targeted interception, communications data acquisition and retention notices, equipment interference, bulk interception, bulk acquisition, bulk equipment interference and bulk personal datasets, with a double-lock of Secretary of State and Judicial Commissioner approval, oversight by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and duties on telecommunications operators.

It is the UK's central surveillance law and directly affects telecom operators and online services that may receive warrants, retention notices or technical capability notices.

Use it for UK lawful interception, communications-data requests and retention, technical capability notices, or how surveillance interacts with privacy rights.

UK intelligence and law-enforcement bodies, and telecommunications and postal operators subject to warrants and notices.

IN FORCE. The supplied copy is the Act as enacted and does not include later amendments, such as those made by the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024; check the current revised text. Read the official PDF on this page for the operative text.

Section 1 (overview) → section 2 (privacy duties) → Part 1 offences → Part 2 interception → Parts 3–4 communications data → Part 8 oversight.