Extraction of material from digital devices
Investigation — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This section of the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) provides guidance on the lawful extraction of information from electronic devices, reflecting changes in legislation introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. It outlines the conditions under which police officers, designated as 'authorised persons', can request data from devices, importantly stressing the necessity of consent from the device user. The APP aims to ensure that information is extracted in a consistent, necessary, and proportionate manner while safeguarding the privacy of victims and witnesses, thus supporting effective policing and crime investigation.
Key principles
- 1Extraction of information requires voluntary consent from the device user.
- 2The powers are implemented to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute crime.
- 3Authorities must protect the rights and privacy of victims and witnesses.
- 4Requests for data extraction must be necessary and proportionate to a reasonable line of enquiry.
- 5The new legislative framework aims for a consistent approach to digital evidence extraction.
Defined terms
- authorised persons
- Individuals authorized to extract information from electronic devices as per legal provisions.
- Code of Practice
- A statutory guideline set by the Home Office on the extraction of data from digital devices.
Full guidance
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
Removal of authorised professional practice (APP)
New legislation now standardises how and when the police can lawfully extract information from an electronic device if it has been voluntarily provided. The extraction of information powers are supported by a statutory code of practice published by the Home Office that provides guidance to authorised persons on when and how to exercise these powers. The code of practice on extraction of data from digital devices replaces this section of APP.
The College of Policing has created guidance to help sanctioning officers follow the new code of practice.
(you will need to sign in to College Learn)
About the changes
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022(opens an external website in the same tab) introduces a clear legal basis for authorised persons to obtain and extract information from electronic devices, where there is agreement from the device user.
With so much more of our lives being lived online, the ability to extract information from devices can be a crucial factor in bringing offenders to justice. We must ensure that victims and witnesses are confident they will be treated with sensitivity and dignity when reporting crimes and that their rights to privacy are protected.
An authorised person can exercise the extraction of information powers for the purposes of:
preventing crime * detecting crime * investigating crime * prosecuting crime * helping to locate a missing person * protecting a child or an at-risk adult from neglect or physical, mental or emotional harm
These powers strengthen the law to ensure:
there is a consistent approach to requesting information from phones and other electronic devices * in all cases, requests to extract information held on an electronic device are only made when necessary and proportionate, in line with a reasonable line of enquiry
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APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.
Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.