{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/investigatory-powers-act-2016/section-135",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/investigatory-powers-act-2016/section-135.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2016/25",
  "legislation_title": "Investigatory Powers Act 2016",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/investigatory-powers-act-2016",
  "path": "section/135",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "135",
  "heading": "Part 5: interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In this Part—\n“communication” includes—\n(a)anything comprising speech, music, sounds, visual images or data of any description, and\n(b)signals serving either for the impartation of anything between persons, between a person and a thing or between things or for the actuation or control of any apparatus;\n“equipment” means equipment producing electromagnetic, acoustic or other emissions or any device capable of being used in connection with such equipment;\n“equipment data” has the meaning given by section 100;\n“private information” includes information relating to a person's private or family life;\n“protected material”, in relation to a targeted examination warrant, has the meaning given by section 99(9);\n“senior official” means—\n(a)in the case of a targeted equipment interference warrant which is or may be issued by the Secretary of State or a law enforcement chief, or in the case of a targeted examination warrant which is or may be issued by the Secretary of State, a member of the Senior Civil Service or a member of the Senior Management Structure of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service;\n(b)in the case of a targeted equipment interference warrant or a targeted examination warrant which is or may be issued by the Scottish Ministers, a member of the staff of the Scottish Administration who is a member of the Senior Civil Service;\n“targeted examination warrant” has the meaning given by section 99(9).\n(2) See also—\nsection 261 (telecommunications definitions),\nsection 263 (general definitions),\nsection 264 (general definitions: “journalistic material” etc.),\nsection 265 (index of defined expressions).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 135 in force at 31.5.2018 by S.I. 2018/652, reg. 4(p)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/section/135",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:06:02.282680+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}