Investigatory Powers Act 2016IPA 2016UK · 2016 c. 25
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Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25) – Section 226E – Third party bulk personal datasets: interpretation

Sections

Section 226E[F1Third party bulk personal datasets: interpretation

(1) For the purposes of this Part, an intelligence service examines a third party bulk personal dataset if—
  • (a)
    the intelligence service has relevant access, whether on payment or otherwise, to a set of information that is held electronically by a person other than an intelligence service,
  • (b)
    the set includes personal data relating to a number of individuals,
  • (c)
    the nature of the set is such that the majority of the individuals are not, and are unlikely to become, of interest to the intelligence service in the exercise of its functions, and
  • (d)
    after any initial inspection of the contents (see section 226I), the intelligence service examines the set electronically (but does not obtain the set) for the purpose of the exercise of its functions.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), an intelligence service has “relevant access” to a set of information that is held electronically by another person where—
  • (a)
    the access is made available to the intelligence service as a result of arrangements made directly between the intelligence service and that other person,
  • (b)
    the type and extent of the access available to the intelligence service is not generally available (whether on a commercial basis or otherwise), and
  • (c)
    the access is electronic.]

Amended text

This Section is shown as amended by Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 (see the annotations below), as incorporated in the text in force on 7 October 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.

Annotations

Textual Amendments

  1. F1 Pt. 7B inserted (14.10.2024 for specified purposes, 25.4.2025 in so far as not already in force) by Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 (c. 9), ss. 5, 32(2); S.I. 2024/1021, reg. 2(e); S.I. 2025/501, reg. 2

https://ipa.digiphile.law/article/article-226E.html

Text as at 7 October 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in October 2026.

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