Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Annual Report 2019
Figure 33: Targeted communications data authorisations granted by type
of organisation
212
1,342
14,937
Local authorities
Law enforcement agencies
Public authorities
UK Intelligence Community
184,174
Office for Communications Data Authorisations (OCDA)
19.16
The introduction of OCDA to review and approve CD requests means that CD statistics
will be more accurate in the future. As set out in chapter 5, OCDA takes a decision on all
routine and priority CD requests, but not urgent applications. This applies to all authorities
obtaining CD, with the exception of UKIC.
19.17
OCDA took its first decision on a CD application on 26 April 2019. The following table
shows how many decisions on applications were taken by OCDA in the period to
31 December 2019.
Table 8: Communications data applications received by the Office for
Communications Data Authorisations in 2019
Applications received
71,610
Decisions made
71,208
Authorised
63,688
Not authorised
Withdrawn
Applications with no decision (e.g. pending as at 31 December)
7,520
385
17
Bulk Powers
19.18
While the underlying capabilities are not new, the IPA introduced specific warrants for bulk
collection powers. Bulk warrants are often long standing so the number of applications
for new warrants is not a good measure of the level of activity. The chart below shows the
number of new applications and renewals for each class of bulk warrant for 2019. Figure 28
in the 2018 report related only to new authorisations.
145