http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/section/82/enactedInvestigatory Powers Act 2016enKing's Printer of Acts of Parliament2019-08-16
Investigatory Powers Act 2016s. 48ACrime and Policing Act 2026s. 180(2)s. 255(1)
Part 3Authorisations for obtaining communications dataFurther and supplementary provisionOffence of making unauthorised disclosure
82
1
It is an offence for a telecommunications operator, or any person employed or engaged for the purposes of the business of a telecommunications operator, to disclose, without reasonable excuse, to any person the existence of—
a
any requirement imposed on the operator by virtue of this Part to disclose communications data relating to that person, or
b
any request made in pursuance of an authorisation for the operator to disclose such data.
2
For the purposes of subsection (1), it is, in particular, a reasonable excuse if the disclosure is made with the permission of the relevant public authority which is seeking to obtain the data from the operator (whether the permission is contained in any notice requiring the operator to disclose the data or otherwise).
3
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
a
on summary conviction in England and Wales—
i
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months (or 6 months, if the offence was committed before the commencement of section 154(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003), or
ii
to a fine,
or to both;
b
on summary conviction in Scotland—
i
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or
ii
to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum,
or to both;
c
on summary conviction in Northern Ireland—
i
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or
ii
to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum,
or to both;
d
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine, or to both.