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Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25)
Part 6 — Bulk warrants
Chapter 2 — Bulk acquisition warrants
(b)
the Secretary of State considers that the conduct authorised by the
warrant is proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by that
conduct,
(c) the Secretary of State considers that—
(i) each of the specified operational purposes (see section 161) is a
purpose for which the examination of communications data
obtained under the warrant is or may be necessary, and
(ii) the examination of such data for each such purpose is necessary
on any of the grounds on which the Secretary of State considers
the warrant to be necessary,
(d) the Secretary of State considers that satisfactory arrangements made for
the purposes of section 171 (safeguards relating to the retention and
disclosure of data) are in force in relation to the warrant, and
(e) the decision to issue the warrant has been approved by a Judicial
Commissioner.
For the meaning of “head of an intelligence service”, see section 263.
(2)
A warrant is necessary on grounds falling within this subsection if it is
necessary—
(a) for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime, or
(b) in the interests of the economic well-being of the United Kingdom so
far as those interests are also relevant to the interests of national
security (but see subsection (3)).
(3)
A warrant may be considered necessary on the ground falling within
subsection (2)(b) only if the communications data which it is considered
necessary to obtain is communications data relating to the acts or intentions of
persons outside the British Islands.
(4)
The fact that the communications data which would be obtained under a
warrant relates to the activities in the British Islands of a trade union is not, of
itself, sufficient to establish that the warrant is necessary in the interests of
national security or on that ground and a ground falling within subsection (2).
(5)
A bulk acquisition warrant is a warrant which authorises or requires the
person to whom it is addressed to secure, by any conduct described in the
warrant, any one or more of the activities in subsection (6).
(6)
The activities are—
(a) requiring a telecommunications operator specified in the warrant—
(i) to disclose to a person specified in the warrant any
communications data which is specified in the warrant and is in
the possession of the operator,
(ii) to obtain any communications data specified in the warrant
which is not in the possession of the operator but which the
operator is capable of obtaining, or
(iii) to disclose to a person specified in the warrant any data
obtained as mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii),
(b) the selection for examination, in any manner described in the warrant,
of communications data obtained under the warrant,
(c) the disclosure, in any manner described in the warrant, of
communications data obtained under the warrant to the person to
whom the warrant is addressed or to any person acting on that person’s
behalf.