TV Licensing

Hoenir

flyer said:

Wow. Firstly, it's definitely legit. In their email I had an option to request information the BBC holds on me dating back to 20019. I asked for it and have just received it. The first is a spreadsheet running to 24000 lines! It details device type, browser, internet provider and other information. The second was a smaller spreadsheet with my personal details but also how they have classified me socidemographically!

Then your daughter used your account to log in. 

In the terms of use that you signed up to. 

Inside the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

You need to be covered by a TV licence to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel, or to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer.

This could be on any device, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

We share some of your personal data with TV Licensing, to check if you are using BBC iPlayer and to keep their database to up date.

outtatune

flyer said:

Wow. Firstly, it's definitely legit. In their email I had an option to request information the BBC holds on me dating back to 20019. I asked for it and have just received it. The first is a spreadsheet running to 24000 lines! It details device type, browser, internet provider and other information. The second was a smaller spreadsheet with my personal details but also how they have classified me socidemographically!

It is perfectly possible for a scam email to include perfectly legitimate secondary links, to give the impression that all the links are legitimate.

Mutton_Geoff

I don't think it's genuine. There is no way TVL would respond to a SAR within days. Are you sure the info you received isn't just random?

flyer

Mutton_Geoff said:

I don't think it's genuine. There is no way TVL would respond to a SAR within days. Are you sure the info you received isn't just random?

Mutton_Geoff said:

I don't think it's genuine. There is no way TVL would respond to a SAR within days. Are you sure the info you received isn't just random?

This is the email it originated from 

bbcaccount@bbc.co.uk

The link in the email sends me to https://account.bbc.com/auth?realm=/&clientId=Account&ptrt=https://account.bbc.com/account/settings/privacy/yourdata&isCasso=false&action=sign-in&redirectUri=https://session.bbc.com/session/callback?realm=/&service=IdSignInService&!!!!!!=lYRIcrma-SqJ8wvMETrlLCEE8L0SEzVQWHq4

Looks legit to me?   What do you all think?             

Kim_13

Ignore and check that daughter is definitely using an account in her name and at her address - if she used to live at the house when she was younger then maybe she is still signed into an account from that time that had your email address on it. With password managers, many people will still be operating old accounts that they otherwise would no longer remember the details for.

Nothing will happen over a one off event. Your daughter could be watching completely legally under her own licence (phone/tablet not plugged in) and they cannot prove otherwise - she wouldn’t be the first to forget to check that the account is current. Updating HMRC/DWP, DVLA and financial providers when you move is much more important.

Mutton_Geoff

Kim_13 said:

Nothing will happen over a one off event.

Most of the prosecutions are from a "one off event", the knock at the door, signing a form that you were watching TV without a licence but you'll get one tomorrow. I understand that 99% of the prosecutions are self incriminated.

The OP's daughter must have signed in with their email address, not her own, else how would there be a trail. It would be perfectly legal for you to use your own wifi from within your (licensed) neighbours house and plug the charger in your device and watch everything you want under their licence.

I don't believe there is a route to prosecution through IP addresses, log ins etc. It still needs a physical knock on the door and a statement extracted from the victim. Even if the email were genuine, it's just bluster and intimidation.

Ask them to remove your data from their database since they no longer need to keep it.

flyer

Unfortunately, I have checked our TV and when I went onto iplayer it logs straight into my account set up years ago but not used by us. She went in via that.

Kim_13

Mutton_Geoff said:

Kim_13 said:

Nothing will happen over a one off event.

Most of the prosecutions are from a "one off event", the knock at the door, signing a form that you were watching TV without a licence but you'll get one tomorrow. I understand that 99% of the prosecutions are self incriminated.

The OP's daughter must have signed in with their email address, not her own, else how would there be a trail. It would be perfectly legal for you to use your own wifi from within your (licensed) neighbours house and plug the charger in your device and watch everything you want under their licence.

I don't believe there is a route to prosecution through IP addresses, log ins etc. It still needs a physical knock on the door and a statement extracted from the victim. Even if the email were genuine, it's just bluster and intimidation.

Ask them to remove your data from their database since they no longer need to keep it.

Absolutely, I fully expect the check to reveal that the daughter is still using an old account without realising it. 

The knock on the door is a one off event but those that self-incriminate were almost certainly watching TV/using iPlayer unlicensed on more than just the day that TVL turn up. OP hasn’t committed any offence but has discovered that BBC iPlayer was accessed from their unlicensed premises - no use to TVL if they come around tomorrow since the daughter may well have had a licence that covered her use. The daughter was required to have a licence and be watching on a device that wasn’t plugged in, the OP didn’t have a legal obligation to maintain a licensed premises. The OP will be making sure that their address doesn’t flag again via getting the daughter to sort the account out, although asking for their data to be removed can’t hurt.

I inadvertently had two UKTV accounts and they recently emailed me as I hadn’t used the one on a second email that I didn’t realise was registered with them for nearly two years, to inform me that it would be deleted. It be sensible if iPlayer deleted accounts on the same basis but of course TVL wouldn’t want that as they would lose the easiest method they have to work out who might be committing an offence / who might be an easy target to convince to buy a licence they don’t need. They would likely also argue that an unlicenced person might still need/use the account to access BBC News/Weather/Sounds apps (which require you to be logged in but don’t need a licence to my knowledge.)

J_B

For amusement (are we allowed that sort of thing here?)

Granddaughter (7) was here last night messing on my PC and wanted to watch something on BBC I Player

"it's asking me if I have a TV license, but I don't. Am I allowed to watch it?"

The innocence of youth!

Mutton_Geoff

Apart from the growing amount of people modifying their viewing habits to avoid the need for a licence, I am surprised the independent channels haven't leaned on government to get rid of the licence which is required to watch their channels but that they receive no benefit from.

I contacted Step Change (debt charity) because their budget planner included ensuring you paid your TV Licence when better advice would have been how to modify viewing habits such that the licence was not required.

They had given the TV Licence as much importance as rent, council tax & food. They didn't acknowledge my email but I see the TVL has gone from their budgeting page but they still don't offer simply advice on how someone could easily save £159 a year on their TV saving advice page.

https://www.stepchange.org/debt-info/save-money-on-broadband-digital-tv-satellite.aspx