BBC considers using iPlayer to catch out licence fee dodgers
The BBC is investigating plans to use data from the iPlayer platform to help identify households watching television without a TV licence.
People’s online BBC accounts could be linked to their home addresses for the first time, giving TV Licensing a new tool to track potential fraud, under new proposals being developed. Sky News reports.
Anyone who watches or records live television on any channel or streams programs on BBC iPlayer is legally required to hold a TV licence, which costs £174.50 per year.
The company is responsible for collecting the fee and regularly sends targeted letters and emails to households it believes should be paying but have not.
Discounts are available for people aged 75 and over who receive Pension Credit, visually impaired viewers, people with disabilities or over 60 who live in eligible care homes, and businesses offering overnight accommodation.
Failure to pay for a TV License may result in a fine of up to £1,000.
A TV Licensing spokesperson told The Independent: “We’re always looking for ways to improve the way we collect the license fee. This includes using the data we hold to better understand viewing habits and use of BBC services.”
The BBC stated that BBC online accounts are held by individuals, while a TV License covers everyone living at an address as part of the same household. The organization said it was working on ways to link individuals’ BBC accounts to households; They said this move will help our customers understand the value they get from their TV license and also identify where a TV license may be needed.
The BBC collected £3.8 billion from more than 23 million licenses in 2024-25, but an estimated £550 million was lost to evasion.
Plans to use iPlayer data to catch license fee evaders come just after the BBC’s outgoing director general, Tim Davie, warned the company was in “grave danger” unless the current license fee system was overhauled.
“We want reform in license fees” he said. “However, we are not just increasing the amount we receive from households.
“My biggest fear is that we keep going like this and think everything is going to be okay. We’re not reforming enough. At this point, we’re not getting regulatory reform and more flexibility. That’s my biggest concern. And I think if we don’t do that, we’re in trouble.”
He explained his concerns An interview with GuardDavie expressed reservations about the BBC moving to an advertising or subscription model, stressing the importance of the BBC remaining a “universal service”.
“The reality is the stakes are high,” he continued. “The BBC has never been in serious danger. What do I mean by that? It has had many dramatic and editorial crises in its time, of course. But in fact this is not a mortal danger for the BBC.
“What represents the mortal danger for the BBC is that it is not relevant… If we are to survive, we need permission to reform… we must stand up and fight for it.”
