Investigatory Powers Act 2016

Investigatory Powers Act 2016
Act of Parliament
	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	Click "show" An Act to make provision about the interception of communications, equipment interference and the acquisition and retention of communications data, bulk personal datasets and other information; to make provision about the treatment of material held as a result of such interception, equipment interference or acquisition or retention; to establish the Investigatory Powers Commissioner and other Judicial Commissioners and make provision about them and other oversight arrangements; to make further provision about investigatory powers and national security; to amend sections 3 and 5 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2016 c. 25
Introduced by	Theresa May, as Home Secretary; The Earl Howe, as Dep. Ldr (Lords);
Territorial extent	England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	29 November 2016
Commencement	29 November 2016
Other legislation
Amends	Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; Terrorism Act 2006; Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006; Serious Crime Act 2007; Counter-Terrorism Act 2008; Policing and Crime Act 2009; Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011; Health and Social Care Act 2012; Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014; Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015; Serious Crime Act 2015;
Status: Current legislation
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25) (nicknamed the Snoopers' Charter) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received royal assent on 29 November 2016. Its different parts came into force on various dates from 30 December 2016. The Act comprehensively sets out and in limited respects expands the electronic surveillance powers of the British intelligence agencies and police. It also claims to improve the safeguards on the exercise of those powers.

The Act was amended by the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024, following a review by Lord Anderson of Ipswich, the person who originally proposed the Act.