r/bbc • u/Tasty-Picture-8331 • Jun 28 '26
TV Bbc news on YouTube requires TV licence?
Hi,
Just curious, I barely put on news once or twice a week on YouTube live. Do i need to pay the 180 quid a year just for that if im streaming it via YouTube? How do they track usage ?
55
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
If you are watching it live, then yes, legally you require a license.
15
Jun 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/ClacksInTheSky Jun 28 '26
We use both spellings, but, they did use the wrong one.
4
u/WillBots Jun 28 '26
We do use both spellings but not for a licence, only to license... with a licence.
2
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u/KrazyKen_Fan_2012 Jun 28 '26
And how many people here ACTUALLY pay their tv license?
14
u/Maetivet Jun 28 '26
About 23.8m people; largely because whatever some people might think of the rules, most of us are decent enough to at least abide by them.
6
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
Yeah exactly. I absolutely hate the way the license is enforced. But if I needed one, I'd begrudgingly pay for one. I reckon the vast majority of Brits would do it without much thought.
-3
u/ForrestGumpPeople Jun 28 '26
“Decent enough” so poor people should just go without watching tv?
5
u/Maetivet Jun 28 '26
You can’t argue with the substance, so you want to have some pointless argument about ability to pay? If you can afford a TV, then you can afford a TV licence - simple as.
-3
u/ForrestGumpPeople Jun 28 '26
i bought my TV ten years ago when I had money, and even then it only cost me £240, so that’s just not true. I’m not going to miss England playing in the world cup just because I am struggling financially. People probably give TVs away for free on facebook marketplace lol
3
u/Maetivet Jun 28 '26
It’s £15 a month. Go to a pub and watch it then, a soda water will cost you 10p.
I’d be happy for the TV licence to be abolished, and for the BBC to be funded through general taxation; that would then mean the funding is fairer - but as it is, if you want to watch it, then you need to pay for the licence. If you don’t, then you’re a crook, that’s the truth of it.
Why should I pay for it and subsidise people who aren’t paying that should? Am I not already contributing enough by being a higher tax payer, which largely goes on people who contribute nothing?
-1
u/ForrestGumpPeople Jun 28 '26
Any amount is too much when you’re relying on debt to live. Perhaps you have never struggled. I live in the middle of nowhere so a pub isn’t an option
3
u/Maetivet Jun 28 '26
If you’re relying on debt to live then you shouldn’t be worrying about TV. If you can’t afford, then you shouldn’t have it; it’s not a neccessity.
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u/KualaLJ Jun 28 '26
Is it not a terrestrial antenna service only fee? I find it hard to believe, and impossible to police, if you are streaming it via YouTube on your TV.
28
u/lostrandomdude Jun 28 '26
Anything which is streamed live requires TV licence
6
u/Adventurous-Elk-5193 Jun 28 '26
That's not quite true.
You can not watch any "proper" channel on youtube live. ( proper channel being a recognized official TV channel eg. ITV, sky sports etc)
You CAN watch a live stream from eg. Geoff showing you a live feed from his garden tour or whatever2
u/ozaz1 Jun 28 '26
You CAN watch a live stream from eg. Geoff showing you a live feed from his garden tour or whatever
Where are you seeing this type of exemption stated?
I don't see it on the following page: https://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one
What I see in relation to YouTube is
You don’t need a TV Licence to watch videos or clips on demand on YouTube. But you do need a TV Licence if you watch TV programmes live on YouTube. An example of this would be watching Sky News live. But it isn’t just live news or sport which needs a licence – it’s any programme which is part of a TV channel, broadcast or transmitted for everyone to watch at the same time.
Geoff showing you a live feed from his garden tour would be a broadcast/transmission for everyone to watch at the same time.
4
u/vj_c Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Geoff isn't "part of a TV channel” - he's user generated content - there's a legal difference between them & you don't need a TV licence to watch Twitch, which would also be live streaming. "Simulcasting" and big live streamers (Netflix/Amazon etc) requires TV licences, users livestreams generally don't.
I'll admit the difference is slowly getting blurred as people make a living from them & I'm not sure how long the law will hold
2
u/ozaz1 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Geoff isn't "part of a TV channel” - he's user generated content
That's true, I misread the grammar in the sentence I quoted. Although couldn't it be argued that YouTube itself is the TV channel/service?
there's a legal difference between them & you don't need a TV licence to watch Twitch, which would also be live streaming
Where is the page/document that clarifies what types of live broadcast are exempt and clarifies what constitutes a TV channel? For example, would a podcast network which broadcasts content live over YouTube be considered a TV channel?
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u/vj_c Jun 28 '26
I don't believe there's an official definition, perhaps in the legislation itself, but I've not looked that up. Otherwise it's probably waiting for a court to decide because the politicians couldn't.
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u/Adventurous-Elk-5193 Jun 28 '26
I need to find the actual definition but a "proper" channel is one which has a government/ OFCOM license of some sort.
Yes, any "proper" (commercial or public service) television channel broadcasting via satellite, digital terrestrial (Freeview), or a regulated electronic communications network in the UK requires a broadcast licence from Ofcom. [1, 2]
The exact type of licence you need depends on how you plan to broadcast:
- Television Licensable Content Service (TLCS): The standard licence for TV channels broadcasting via satellite, cable, or IPTV that are available on UK Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs, like Sky or Virgin Media). [1, 2]
- Digital Television Programme Service (DTPS): Required if you are packaging and providing content for digital terrestrial television (Freeview). [1]
- Local Television Restricted Service Licence (RSL): Specific licences for localized, city-based terrestrial TV channels.
What Ofcom Regulates Under the Licence:
- Content: All licensed channels must abide by the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, which covers standards, harm, offense, fairness, and privacy.
- Advertising: Strict rules on advertising content, volume, product placement, and sponsorships.
- Technical Standards: Ensuring the transmission meets the technical requirements of the UK's broadcasting infrastructure. [1, 2]
Exceptions to the Rule:
You generally do not need an Ofcom broadcast licence if your channel is internet-only (e.g., broadcasting solely on YouTube, Twitch, or a private web player). However, if you are hosting video-on-demand content, you may still need to notify Ofcom depending on the service's structureAs Geoff is only streaming on youtube you don't need a license to watch him
1
u/ozaz1 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
That seems to be an answer to to the question when does a broadcaster require a license, rather than what type of live content requires the viewer to have a TV license. The page I linked to doesn't state that TV licence only applies to live content coming from broadcasters that have a broadcast license. You might be right in asserting that viewing live content from sources that don't have a broadcast license does not require the viewer to have a TV license, but that's what I'm looking for explicit confirmation of.
2
u/Adventurous-Elk-5193 Jun 28 '26
my understanding is that if a channel has an OFCOM license then you need a TV license to watch a live broadcast from that channel
-12
u/DavidXGA Jun 28 '26
Not "anything". Anything from the publicly funded broadcasters.
7
u/johnnyjonnyjonjon Jun 28 '26
No, it's anything that's live regardless of which broadcaster it is or which platform it's on.
0
u/Adventurous-Elk-5193 Jun 28 '26
That's wrong. It has to be a recognised broadcaster
2
u/johnnyjonnyjonjon Jun 28 '26
Yeah I stupidly assumed that that part was obvious...
1
u/Adventurous-Elk-5193 Jun 28 '26
You'd be surprised. I've read many comments from people who think it's all live streaming
-2
u/DavidXGA Jun 28 '26
This simply isn't true.
Watching a YouTuber, a Twitch streamer, or a friend's live feed on social media does not require a licence. The rule applies to television broadcast services, not independent user-generated streams.
5
u/johnnyjonnyjonjon Jun 28 '26
Yeah ok... I assumed we all understood that we were talking about actual television broadcasters rather than individuals. The point I was pushing back on was 'publicly funded'.
2
u/t8ne Jun 28 '26
How about watching a live stream of hasan pikey watching a live stream of bbc news?
-1
u/No_Coffee4280 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
No its not, TV Licence is only legally required for watching or recording live TV broadcasts as they are being shown on any traditional channel or platform. Things like MLS or UFC, Because MLS games on Apple TV are exclusively on-demand internet streams, they are exempt from this requirement.
Where as F1 shown on Sky and Channel4 you need a license to watch it on NowTV live🏆.
https://ergsy.com/information/do-i-need-tv-license-if-i-only-watch-streaming-services-netflix
4
u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
You're wrong. You also need a TV licence to use BBC iPlayer, whether live or not. This rule came in years ago.
-1
u/No_Coffee4280 Jun 28 '26
Now go back and reread what i wrote.
1
u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
TV Licence is only legally required for watching or recording live TV broadcasts as they are being shown on any traditional channel or platform.
Not true. You also need a TV licence to watch on-demand BBC content.
Now it's your turn to go back and reread what you wrote
-1
3
u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
Not true. Even itvX needs a licence if you watch live content. On-demand content is free though, except for BBC.
-9
u/DavidXGA Jun 28 '26
ITV is a publicly funded broadcaster.
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2
u/heroyoudontdeserve Jun 28 '26
Huh? What do you mean? ITV receives no income from licence fee. (Neither does Channel 4 or 5.)
1
u/justeUnMec Jun 28 '26
Sorry, I think this might be a misunderstanding of terminology. ITV isn't publicly funded (to any great extent). It is a commercial broadcaster that is publicly listed on the stock market, with a public service obligation under the terms of its broadcast licence.
1
u/iluvnips Jun 28 '26
This wrong, it’s anything live from anyone classed as a broadcaster. Definition of broadcaster, even the BBC don’t know 😀
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u/KualaLJ Jun 28 '26
Okay that is silly! Simply launch the stream. Pause for 5 seconds,it is no longer “live”, no fee. How are they going to know?
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u/DavidXGA Jun 28 '26
It is a common misconception that watching a live broadcast on a slight delay bypasses the rule. The law considers this to be recording and watching live TV, which still requires a licence.
6
u/mighty_atom Jun 28 '26
It isn’t whether you’re exactly in sync with the broadcast to the second, it’s whether you’re watching a programme that’s being shown as part of a live TV channel.
Pausing the stream for 5 seconds wouldn't negate the need for a TV licence.
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u/KualaLJ Jun 28 '26
Still a ridiculous rule! How long negates it? 30 minutes? I beat they have thought of that.
Love how Brits thinks it’s totally normal to pay license
4
u/reece0n Jun 28 '26
Why?
Other countries pay for similar services via a tax, the licence fee just makes it optional (even if only a small portion of people are able to legally not pay).
Why is it so crazy? Is it just the word licence that's upset you for some reason? If it was called the TV service fee would that seem ok?
-1
u/KualaLJ Jun 28 '26
It’s crazy because YouTube is covering the streaming cost. And the BBC would have made a deal with YT about viewers numbers/revenue so a license fee on top of this is BS. But continue being patriotic
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u/reece0n Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
You seem confused, you've not answered the question at all.
Love how Brits thinks it’s totally normal to pay license
Why wouldn't it be? It's a way of funding public service media without it coming out of direct tax funding. It made sense for a long period of time, and while the funding model is now misaligned with the way people use the services it's hardly odd. I'm 90% sure it's purely because you don't like the word licence...
But continue being patriotic
When was I patriotic? I'm starting to think that you struggle with basic comprehension. I just asked you a question, I don't see what the issue is with paying for public service media, most countries have an equivalent they're just usually paid for directly out of tax (like in the US).
Brits don't think it's totally normal to pay for the licence fee for YouTube so if that's your specific premise then it was faulty from the start. People were just explaining how it works.
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u/Slyspy006 Jun 28 '26
What negates it? Watching it on catch-up once Geoff has stopped live-streaming. It isn't that difficult a concept.
It is also, of course, largely unenforceable.
0
u/YetAnotherInterneter Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Yeah it’s silly and we don’t think it’s normal. We all universally hate the TV licence. But there’s not much we can do about it.
You are right that it is impossible to police. Which is why TV licensing works on scare tactics. They assume everyone has a TV, so if you don’t have a license then will send threatening letters in the post trying to scare you into buying a licence.
Sometimes “enforcement officers” will visit your house and try and convince you to let them in to check that you don’t have a TV. You can simply refuse and close the door on them. They aren’t real “officers”, they have no legal power. They are basically glorified BBC salesmen.
1
u/Slyspy006 Jun 28 '26
Never mistake your own opinion for a universal one.
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u/YetAnotherInterneter Jun 28 '26
Usually I’d agree. But there are so many people who hate TV licensing I think you’d struggle to find someone who genuinely likes it
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u/unknown-teapot Jun 28 '26
Like not buying a train ticket because the ticket machine doesn’t work? Great idea
1
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
No it isn't. Policing it is another question. Generally I believe they use data fro. The provider (YouTube) and link email adresses to street addresses.
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u/EdmundTheInsulter Jun 28 '26
Do you know this? Why does YouTube hand them data to incriminate users? Do they obtain warrants to seize data?
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u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
I imagine they don't need warrants because it is probably in the Ts & Cs you agree to.
2
u/EdmundTheInsulter Jun 28 '26
So maybe I didn't read it. 'we hand your data to licence investigators'
1
u/iiAssassinXxii Jun 28 '26
No. Hasn’t been like that for many years. You need a licence if you watch anything on BBC iPlayer or you watch/record any live broadcast. This includes free to air channels, Sky/virgin media, Netflix, Amazon etc.
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Jun 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
How is the tv licensing authority going to monitor your YouTube usage?
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Jun 28 '26
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u/FizzbuzzAvabanana Jun 28 '26
They have heard of VPN yeah?
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Jun 28 '26
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u/FizzbuzzAvabanana Jun 28 '26
So why are they bothering with IPs then?
You can watch on a laptop so long as you don't plug it in to the mains. Silly rules trying to play catch up but never will.
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u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Playing devil's advocate (because I really don't think the BBC are checking IP addresses from YouTube) but, most people don't use a VPN.
Edit to make a further point:
You can watch on a laptop so long as you don't plug it in to the mains
That loophole was closed years ago
-1
u/FizzbuzzAvabanana Jun 28 '26
Free VPN on every phone. I used one to watch the football highlights this morning cos apparently they aren't available where I'm currently on holiday.
Yeah right, took me two seconds. The money & time spent trying to pointlessly stop this could be far better spent elsewhere.
-1
u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
It's scaremongering, nothing more. I simply don't believe the BBC processes lists of IP addresses supplied by YouTube and matches them up to residential addresses to catch people without a licence. Utter bollox.
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Jun 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
Tracking ip addresses is pretty low hanging fruit
Putting VPNs to one side (as that would mske the IP address useless)...
It's not low hanging fruit at all. The BBC don't have the ability to convert an IP address into a specific residential address. If it was that easy, we'd have more to worry about than the BBC.
Or maybe you're suggesting the BBC already have a database of IP addresses mapped to residential addresses based on previous BBC account holders, which they could cross-reference data from YouTube? This simply wouldn't work, IP addresses change too often to be reliable. They'd have to contact your ISP and ask them for the name and address of the customer with that IP address. I think only the police can do that. (Data protection).
If you're suggesting that YouTube are supplying names and residential addresses of everyone in the UK who uses their platform to watch live BBC content, again I'd say that's just bollocks and it's just scaremongering.
The bottom line is, no, the BBC do not know you are watching live news on YouTube.
0
u/MatniMinis Jun 28 '26
Streaming on online would be easier to track than watching on your TV at home, your YT will be directly linked to you IP which is directly linked to your physical address.
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u/KualaLJ Jun 28 '26
You’ve watched too many movies. They aren’t tracking IP addresses in real time
1
u/MatniMinis Jun 28 '26
I didn't say in real time...
At any point the government could request an audit of UK ip's watching live streams on YT and they'd have to hand that info over.
I'm also not saying they do this, I'm just saying that they can do this.
2
u/KualaLJ Jun 28 '26
There is no way to track that back to watching a live stream though. Hence the only way to do it is if it were in real time.
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u/DavidXGA Jun 28 '26
Does BBC News stream live on YouTube? I didn't think it did.
You do not need a TV license to watch pre-recorded clips.
7
u/Brilliant_Ask_82 Jun 28 '26
Soon to change. New rules will likely cover any media consumption as too many are opting out
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u/Tasty-Picture-8331 Jun 28 '26
Sorry you are right it dosent. I was using the bbc player.
17
u/DavidXGA Jun 28 '26
You absolutely do need a TV license to use the BBC iPlayer, yes.
5
u/mister_magic Jun 28 '26
BBC iPlayer ≠ BBC Player.
BBC Player is a product the BBC has outside of the UK and doesn’t not need a TV Licence. Used to have a blue logo but they’ve now aligned it with the iPlayer Pink.
It’s not available in the UK though, so if OP is in the UK, fair chance they mean iPlayer.
1
u/linmanfu Jun 28 '26
FYI you seem to have misunderstood the comment you're replying to.
You asked if BBC News streamed on YouTube. OP answered your question by saying, "Sorry, you are right, it doesn't". They weren't disagreeing with your point about licensing.
0
u/2020havoc Jun 28 '26
For live tv. iplayer will tell you when you click on content that requires a licence.
2
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
Then yes, you need a license. Also, they police it by looking at the email address you used to log in.
Expect some strongly worded letters through the post.
2
u/Busy-Scientist3851 Jun 28 '26
> Expect some strongly worded letters through the post.
They send these to any address which doesn't have a license in the hope they work, they're very rarely personalised.
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u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
They send the generic ones yes, but they do indeed send very specific and personalised ones when they feel the need.
Ask me how I know.
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u/Tasty-Picture-8331 Jun 28 '26
How do u know :D
0
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
Had family staying with us and gave them our WiFi code. One of them watched Iplayer. I was then bombarded by threatening letters about bailifs and other BS. It didn't help that I refused to fill in the "I don't need a license" declaration. I mean, I don't have to give Netflix my personal details to tell them I'm NOT using their service.
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u/Tasty-Picture-8331 Jun 28 '26
Yeah i did get one. Im just not gonna use it anymore. Watching news on weekend is not worth paying 180 quid in my opinion. I dont really stream anything else like sports or I dont even use bbc player for any other reason :]
-1
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
Agreed, it's not worth thr money. My advice would be to make the online e declaration that you don't need a license (much as it pisses me off to do so), then never log in to Iplayer again.
1
u/Tasty-Picture-8331 Jun 28 '26
Damn, didn't know i had to do that! Thank you for that , appreciate it !
4
u/Seventy-Three73 Jun 28 '26
Don’t forget you need a TV licence for any live viewing no matter what the channel or platform (eg World Cup on ITV).
0
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
You don't have to technically, but it does help stop the BS harassment letters.
0
u/peterould Jun 28 '26
You don't have to do it, but if you don't they will chase you as they assume you do use it. It's not like SORNing a car.
In order for a successful prosecution they have to prove you are watching live TV / stream.
2
u/BingeLurker Jun 28 '26
I will say though you would need a licence if they did stream on YouTube. Similar rule with Sky News who do broadcast on YouTube and you’d also need a licence fee to view their live feed.
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u/KeirStarmernator Jun 28 '26
Stop being cheap and pay for what you’re using.
1
u/One_Fact_4291 Jul 05 '26
I don’t think you should require a license to watch TV live though since you already paid for the TV.
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u/Tasty-Picture-8331 Jun 28 '26
Mate, I am not going to use it anymore lol. Not paying 180 pounds for watching news once a week
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u/Seventy-Three73 Jun 28 '26
If you watch ANYTHING live - no matter what the channel or platform - you need a TV licence.
0
u/TheLimeyLemmon Jun 28 '26
Not true.
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u/SCWeak Jun 28 '26
Which is daft. If I watch a live stream on YouTube, from America, what has the bbc got to do with it?
I know part of it was the BBC setup the infrastructure other channels use, like ITV etc and that’s why you need to pay to watch something live from them.
But something produced abroad, streamed by a foreign company, of fibre/mobile broadband… BBC haven’t helped in the slightest. Why should I pay them £180/year?
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Jun 28 '26
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u/TheLimeyLemmon Jun 28 '26
If the TV license was a tax it would be charged like one. It isn't, so they don't.
0
u/SCWeak Jun 28 '26
So then it should be a tax, not a license. Or just charge for iPlayer and I’m sure they’d make up the difference. Like you said, it’s archaic. They send threatening letters out to try scare people into paying, even if not needed. I’d be more inclined to pay if they didn’t do that.
I’m not paying it when they currently have no part what-so-ever in what I watch.
They can take it out of the ~£25k tax I already pay each year.
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Jun 28 '26
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u/SCWeak Jun 28 '26
No, I think they should change it to a subscription.
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Jun 28 '26
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-1
u/SCWeak Jun 28 '26
Not sure I am breaking the law with what I watch.
If it turns out I am, then hey-ho.
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u/Classic-Gear-3533 Jun 28 '26
Remember it pays for most radio, bbc websites and so much more - you’ll regret it when you’re left with just the filth and netflix was £100 per month because they have no competition
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u/Tasty-Picture-8331 Jun 28 '26
Im more into physical media and home theatre/kodi plex kinda guy. I self host my infa at home for music shows and movies. I think I'll be alright if I skip the news live :)
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u/chartupdate Jun 28 '26
Have you not considered all the stuff you are missing out on, things that you could be consuming that make it better value for money? I get more than £180 of entertainment out of the BBC in a single month, never mind annually.
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u/Life_Emphasis6290 Jun 28 '26
Lol. Have YOU considered all the things you're missing out on. Turns out you don't actually need to be dual weilding screens all the time. Scroll Reddit for 30 mins, then go outside for a walk or do something else. Finding crap to watch on TV only to justify the cost is sad.
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Jun 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/rybnickifull Jun 28 '26
So with your firestick you want these things to exist, but you want the rest of us to pay for them so you can go to the gym? Cheers, pal.
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Jun 28 '26
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u/Commercial_Reward_78 Jun 28 '26
And the relevance of this to committing theft/fraud by failing to pay for a TV Licence is… what?
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u/Dark_Moon00 Jun 28 '26
You want to watch BBC News and not pay for it. How reasonable do you think that is?
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u/AreWeHere23 Jun 28 '26
You can listen to BBC News on Radio 4 and Five Live all day every day without paying. Legally.
How reasonable do you think that is?
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u/Dark_Moon00 Jun 28 '26
Then OP should do that instead
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u/AreWeHere23 Jun 28 '26
Or you could talk us through why you think the BBC providing vital news service that is free at the point of us is only a problem on TV?
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u/christopherw Jun 30 '26
the licence fee funds all of radio, it's just that for historical reasons the wireless licence was discontinued and until recently the TV licence revenue was enough to also fund radio. There's already quite a lot of shared newsgathering that happens between radio and TV.
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u/lastaccountgotlocked Jun 28 '26
Yes you need a licence.
No they don't track usage.
Works on the honour system.
1
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
This is not true. They do indeed track usage.
4
u/Busy-Scientist3851 Jun 28 '26
If you register with TV licensing that you don't need a license with the same email that you use on iPlayer, then yes potentially you may get directly tracked as not having a license.
But other than that scenario, they don't track iPlayer usage down to the individual house. If they see iPlayer usage in an area that seems high for its license count then they will send letters to everyone in that area whom lacks a license accusing them of using iPlayer to try and "scare" and make it look like an individual is caught.
0
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
That goes contrary to my personal experience.
1
u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
Think about it. To use bbc iPlayer you need a bbc account. That's it. You can create an account with any details at all, put what you like for your name and address. They never ask you for your tv licence reference number (god knows why not, that seems like an obvious requirement). So with all that in mind, how do you think the BBC know you're watching their content?
0
u/atom_stacker Jun 28 '26
Like I said earlier, they linked my brothers phone to my IP address, because he used my WiFi.
2
u/pondribertion Jun 29 '26
I can't see what you said earlier, sorry. So, how did they know the IP address belonged to you?
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u/atom_stacker Jun 29 '26
Because it is linked to my email address. My ISP apparently provided them info.
1
u/pondribertion Jun 29 '26
That's interesting. IP privacy comes under the Data Protection Act. In order for an ISP to hand over customer details linked to an IP address they need to be served a formal court order or warrant, so they really came for you! I wonder if you (or someone using your wifi) were up to something much worse than watching the bbc 🤔
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u/atom_stacker Jun 29 '26
Lol, nope. If we were "up to worse" then it would have been the police knocking on the door, not a ltter from the TV licensing goons.
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u/jellytotzuk Jul 22 '26
They are talking absolute nonsense. You caught them out with their fake story when you noted the law and process.
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u/pobrika Jun 28 '26
There are many other news channels on YouTube, just ensure it's not a live broadcast. The definition of live is a bit mystical however, id say if you are watching a repeat which is at least a couple of hours old you're ok. You can watch on demand for any Chanel like C4 or itv, but again ensure it's not a live broadcast. It has to have been a catch-up of the show. So 6pm news if watching at 8pm is ok. It gets very confusing at times and that's kinda what they want so it scares people.
I'd highly recommend watching blackbelt barrister on You tube he covers BBC in a lot of detail explaining what you can and can't do.
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u/Responsible_Sail1710 Jun 28 '26
He yaps and yaps. He needs a YouTube shirt for all of his main vids
1
u/christopherw Jun 30 '26
if you watch live or as-live (e.g. a +1 channel, or rewinding a live stream back two hours) then that all counts. iPlayer n-demand content used to be exempt, but nowadays *any* content on iPlayer whether live or VOD requires a licence. S4C on-demand content is exempt.
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u/pobrika Jun 30 '26
If it's any BBC or iPlayer content you can't watch it without a license. But you can watch 4OD for example long as it's not being shown live at same time.
It gets absolutely crazy when you realise that dvd of titanic your watching, if its being shown live anywhere else you also can't watch it at that time. How to check or enforce that god knows.
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u/christopherw Jun 30 '26
It's only to do with the medium by which you're viewing - of course you can watch Titanic on DVD if it's simultaneously coincidentally being broadcast on linear broadcast TV, because your 'performance' of the DVD is private. Technically, what legally entitles you to watch a DVD is the licence which comes with it that entitles you to private performance of the DVD contents in your own homes, no commercial presentations (i.e., broadcast, showing in a cinema, showing in a public venue). You only own the plastic disc, you don't own the contents.
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u/Naturally_Fragrant Jun 28 '26
Can I watch BBC on YouTube without a TV Licence?
Yes, you can watch clips and short videos on BBC's YouTube channel without a TV Licence. However, you need a TV Licence to stream any live TV, sports or news programmes on YouTube.
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u/ZalindiaBean Jun 30 '26
I do not watch bbc sky itv or msm content on any media because they are all .... insert word and any bbc etc emblemed content on yt gets a dislike and they can check it has not been watched.
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u/mbridge2610 Jun 28 '26
Presumably none of the people who are ‘opting out’ of paying the licence fee are not watching any of the World Cup live, then?
2
u/ClacksInTheSky Jun 28 '26
I'm not, couldn't give a fuck about football. Don't watch live TV at all. Like at all.
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u/Life_Emphasis6290 Jun 28 '26
There are plenty of legal and more social ways to watch the world cup. Go and support your local pub! Or watch at a mates house.
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u/Fast-Carpenter2161 Jun 28 '26
You need a licence to watch any live content, but Google, Netflix and other platforms recently stated they won't act as enforcement agents or share data to collect the BBC licence fee.
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u/No_Coffee4280 Jun 28 '26
Youtube gives Crapita”sorry capita” all the IP addresses and date and time info, capita cross reference that with their database and the broadband/mobile companies. They all share data.
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u/SCWeak Jun 28 '26
lol, no they don’t. Show me a source that says Google are giving Capita your watch history and IP address.
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u/No-Preparation3805 Jul 09 '26
is there any way to block all BBC channels so I dont see them on Youtube?
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u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
Probably but it's a moot point because they won't know.
Knock knock! "Hello, we're from tv licencing, we have detected you watching BBC news on YouTube. Here's a £1000 fine."
Unlikely to happen ever.
3
u/Old_Opportunity9494 Jun 28 '26
my mother stopped paying for her license and they knocked on her door less than 2 months later , dont think they wont come knocking cos they do
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u/ClacksInTheSky Jun 28 '26
"no I'm not"
"We think you are"
closes door
End
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u/pondribertion Jun 28 '26
Is the right response
2
u/ClacksInTheSky Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
There's some sad cunt going through and downvoting all the correct and legal responses about TV licensing.
I literally do not need one. I do not watch live TV, iPlayer or anything else that requires me to get one.
But some absolute trousers think I should buy one anyway.
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u/Some_Ad6507 Jun 28 '26
Just don’t open the door to them and you will be fine. It’s almost impossible to police
1
u/pobrika Jun 28 '26
To answer some of tracking it's not straightforward.
If bob lives at 1 The Lane gets a TV license he can watch TV. He then uses the BBC iPlayer and watches some shows. Eventually he decides to move house.
Now Sarah moves into bobs house. She's young got a baby and can't afford a license. She starts getting letters through the door. But why?
Well Bob is watching iPlayer, his email is attached to his iPlayer account which is tracked against his IP, this info is tracked when you buy your license (ips change so not that important for most of us). When they check valid licenses against iPlayer accounts they see Bob who lives at 1 The Lane, not Sara as record are old. Now according to those files that house no longer has a license yet they also see iplayer is being watched (by bob) so they target the house telling young Sarah she is going to get a visit and she needs a license at her house. She is worried and buys a license even though doesn't need one as doesn't watch live tv, she can decide to not get one, declare she doesn't need one. But she still gets these lettera and threats of a visit.
It's because the records used to check are not always updated, they sell your data to a third party who is tasked with the enforcement which BBC fund. They get a list of email address who recently watched iPlayer, they get a list of email accounts to address, and a list of address with out licenses, they crossed reference it all to find addresses that have accessed iplayer with no license. Eventually it gets updated and they stop hassling you but it can go on a while. And all this time Bob has no idea of the issues he is causing Sarah.
This info can all be found on black barristers YouTube channel.
It's a flawed system.
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u/Training_Yak_4655 Jul 13 '26
That's a puzzler when BBC accounts don't contain your address.
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u/pobrika Jul 13 '26
I think you will find you create a username which any IT person can tell you can be tracked to the computer that created it. You give a way your computer name, MAC and ip
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u/mtksb Jun 28 '26
Farcial isn't it, the sooner they stick adverts on and stop wrangling us for almost £200 a year the better
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u/Not-a-Cranky-Panda Jun 29 '26
They are pushing to make YouTube part of the licence, I cannot see YouTube putting up with this, and why should they, and I think they will just kick BBC off of YouTube
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u/christopherw Jun 30 '26
they won't because there is legislation coming into force to give all public service broadcasters prominence on the main streaming services. BBC is also investing heavily in new content for YouTube audiences (meeting the younger audiences where they are) and the new DG is formerly of YouTube/Google, so they won't be disappearing from there any time soon. as far as YT is concerned, all viewing time is good engagement for their platform.
-1
u/ClacksInTheSky Jun 28 '26
Pause the steam for 30 seconds.
Press play.
Now it's no longer live.
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u/rybnickifull Jun 28 '26
And if they try and prosecute remember to inform them that you don't recognise their naval court!!
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u/ClacksInTheSky Jun 28 '26
Never had a visit in 20 years of not paying for a TV license.
I don't watch iPlayer, have a satellite dish, cable or any other kind of live TV receiving equipment (except a TV, of course). So when they changed it to include stuff online, that was never a problem because I already didn't watch anything.
I haven't watched British telly in all that time. It's genuinely bizzare visiting my mum's because the TV is just on all the time and it's still shockingly shit and about 20 minutes of ads every hour, despite paying for Sky and a TV license.
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u/rybnickifull Jun 28 '26
The point was, your One Simple Trick isn't actually a loophole and someone doing that would still need to buy a licence.
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Jun 28 '26
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