Over the last couple of days we have been heartened to see that the national media has finally cottoned on to a fact we have stated since day zero - new legislation intended to prevent unlicensed use of the BBC iPlayer is totally unenforceable.
A copy of an article from yesterday's Metro is posted above.
As of yesterday iPlayer users need a BBC account to access the service. In order to get a BBC account the user needs to input their date of birth, email address and post code - or rather they need to input a date of birth, email address and post code. Apart from a verification email sent to the email address provided, the BBC has no way whatsoever of verifying any of the other details provided.
Contrary to a report in yesterday's The Sun, users are not required to input their TV licence details to access the BBC iPlayer. As TV licences are attached to properties rather than individuals, making a user input their licence details would serve no useful purpose at all.
Suppose, just for one fleeting moment, that a user signed into the BBC iPlayer and the BBC somehow, magically, knew that they didn't have a valid TV licence for their home address. What would that prove? Absolutely nothing is the answer.
Of course the BBC wants people to be under the illusion that its all seeing TV licence enforcement regime can spot an unlicensed iPlayer user at a hundred paces. Total bull.
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I'm always amazed at just how the BBC regards itself with such self-importance. They're a (second rate) broadcasting company, for heaven's sake!
ReplyDeleteIf they expended even a small part of the energy used in all this enforcement nonsence in running a tight (and non-exploitative) ship, treating their real artists (as in writers, for example) well, and in ensuring production values, we might have a BBC which would be perhaps half as good as it thinks it is.
In all the bandying around of words like 'cheats' and 'dodgers' and so on, let's not forget that we all pay twoards the BBC, licence purchasers or not - money is taken from our taxes and handed over to the BBC whether or not we agree with the Corporation and its highly flawed (and often fallacious) presentations.
Perhaps those of us who don't pay a licence fee but do use a small part of the BBC offerings (iPlayer stuff, for example) are just taking their dues?...
Great website. But surely the BBC could obtain the users physical address from the IP address and then if that premises is unlicenced, simply bill the registered property owner from land registry records (who would then have to prove he wasn't the current occupier, I.e via letting or tenancy agreement?) Surely tracking via iplayer is easier than via aerial broadcast?! Or is my theory overlooking something? Especially when I thought the new RIPA laws gave far more power to snoop and track individuals internet habits...
ReplyDeleteCan't the BBC obtain your physical address from your IP address much easier now, especially under the new RIPA legislation? Then they could bill any unlicensed property owners getting their details from land registry. Then the owner would have to prove they didn't occupy the premises and show it was tenanted or let out? Or failing that their iplayer "apps" can be set to request location as a permission which would give a very close indication of their residence too... Hmm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Dayv. The BBC cannot obtain a physical address from an IP address - that's more the sort of thing GCHQ does. The BBC's powers under RIPA are very tightly controlled and snooping on internet connections is not one of them.
ReplyDeleteSuppose for one moment the BBC could match an iPlayer user's IP address with their physical unlicensed address. Even then it wouldn't prove anything. Anyone covered by a valid TV licence could be sat in an unlicensed property surfing the web using an unplugged tablet, laptop or phone.