Equipment interference: code of practice

This code of practice is intended for use by the public authorities able to authorise equipment interference activity under the Investigatory Powers Act, namely:

• the Security Service
• the Secret Intelligence Service
• the Government Communications Headquarters
• law enforcement agencies (listed at schedule 6 of the Investigatory Powers Act)
• Defence Intelligence

These authorities are collectively referred to as the equipment interference authorities.

The code also allows other interested bodies to understand the procedures to be followed by the equipment interference authorities.

This code is publicly available and should be readily accessible by members of any of the equipment interference authorities seeking to use the Investigatory Powers Act to authorise equipment interference.