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Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25)
Part 9 — Miscellaneous and general provisions
Chapter 2 — General
Events data
(4)
“Events data” means any data which identifies or describes an event (whether
or not by reference to its location) on, in or by means of a telecommunication
system where the event consists of one or more entities engaging in a specific
activity at a specific time.
Communications data
(5)
“Communications data”, in relation to a telecommunications operator,
telecommunications service or telecommunication system, means entity data
or events data—
(a) which is (or is to be or is capable of being) held or obtained by, or on
behalf of, a telecommunications operator and—
(i) is about an entity to which a telecommunications service is
provided and relates to the provision of the service,
(ii) is comprised in, included as part of, attached to or logically
associated with a communication (whether by the sender or
otherwise) for the purposes of a telecommunication system by
means of which the communication is being or may be
transmitted, or
(iii) does not fall within sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) but does relate to
the use of a telecommunications service or a telecommunication
system,
(b) which is available directly from a telecommunication system and falls
within sub-paragraph (ii) of paragraph (a), or
(c) which—
(i) is (or is to be or is capable of being) held or obtained by, or on
behalf of, a telecommunications operator,
(ii) is about the architecture of a telecommunication system, and
(iii) is not about a specific person,
but does not include any content of a communication or anything which, in the
absence of subsection (6)(b), would be content of a communication.
Content of a communication
(6)
“Content”, in relation to a communication and a telecommunications operator,
telecommunications service or telecommunication system, means any element
of the communication, or any data attached to or logically associated with the
communication, which reveals anything of what might reasonably be
considered to be the meaning (if any) of the communication, but—
(a) any meaning arising from the fact of the communication or from any
data relating to the transmission of the communication is to be
disregarded, and
(b) anything which is systems data is not content.
Other definitions
(7)
“Entity” means a person or thing.
(8)
“Public telecommunications service” means any telecommunications service
which is offered or provided to the public, or a substantial section of the public,
in any one or more parts of the United Kingdom.