BBC to force you to log into iplayer to track what you watch

Anyone wanting to watch or listen to programmes on the BBC iplayer will soon need to register for an account and log in with a password.

According to an announcement from the corporation, compulsory accounts are being enforced in order to make the system “more robust and secure” and provide “a more tailored BBC experience”. But they will also let the BBC track what you watch.

It comes just weeks after new laws came into effect that require all iplayer users to own a valid TV licence. The BBC says that accounts won’t be used to catch those not paying, but this may change in the future.

Until now, it has been possible to use iplayer via a web browser or mobile app without logging in, though

signing up for an optional BBC account ( www.snipca.

com/21969) provides additional features, including the ability to resume watching a programme at the point where you stopped on another device.

Initial changes to the way BBC accounts work have already been implemented. Now, anyone with a BBC account is required to add a postcode to their personal details. Previously, only a username and password were needed.

A second wave of changes, which will include accounts for all iplayer users, is due sometime in “early 2017”.

By forcing everyone who watches iplayer to sign in with an account, the BBC will be able to track users and collect more data about them and their viewing habits.

Tony Hall, BBC Director-general, explained that collecting personal information about users would help the corporation “take you to more of the great programmes you love… and content you might otherwise never have discovered”.

To coincide with its announcement, the BBC updated its privacy policy, promising that it “will never sell personal details to anyone”. Read it in full at www.snipca.com/21972.