213
Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25)
Part 9 — Miscellaneous and general provisions
Chapter 2 — General
CHAPTER 2
GENERAL
Review of operation of Act
260
Review of operation of Act
(1)
The Secretary of State must, within the period of 6 months beginning with the
end of the initial period, prepare a report on the operation of this Act.
(2)
In subsection (1) “the initial period” is the period of 5 years and 6 months
beginning with the day on which this Act is passed.
(3)
In preparing the report under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must, in
particular, take account of any report on the operation of this Act made by a
Select Committee of either House of Parliament (whether acting alone or
jointly).
(4)
The Secretary of State must—
(a) publish the report prepared under subsection (1), and
(b) lay a copy of it before Parliament.
Interpretation
261
(1)
Telecommunications definitions
The definitions in this section have effect for the purposes of this Act.
Communication
(2)
“Communication”, in relation to a telecommunications operator,
telecommunications service or telecommunication system, includes—
(a) anything comprising speech, music, sounds, visual images or data of
any description, and
(b) signals serving either for the impartation of anything between persons,
between a person and a thing or between things or for the actuation or
control of any apparatus.
Entity data
(3)
“Entity data” means any data which—
(a) is about—
(i) an entity,
(ii) an association between a telecommunications service and an
entity, or
(iii) an association between any part of a telecommunication system
and an entity,
(b) consists of, or includes, data which identifies or describes the entity
(whether or not by reference to the entity’s location), and
(c) is not events data.