Open Sesame...

Within a matter of weeks,i it seems, you will need to log on, using a password, to access the BBC's iPlayer. So this service, which has been available freely and openly for getting on for ten years will now only be available to those who are prepared to identify themselves.  Why?  Well of course it's all about money (isn't it always?). The original idea was that iPlayer was a catch-up service - you could watch repeats of past programmes.  And because you were not watching "live" TV you didn't need a licence to do so.  But at some point - not quite sure when - iPlayer started streaming its channels as they were being broadcast, and now, technically, you did need a licence to watch this output.  But of course, a lot of people soon realised that using iPlayer, they could watch live TV for free.  So this is BBC's response - they deny that they are seeking to identify licence evaders but openly accept that they "will now use this [information] alongside our existing enforcement techniques to help identify people who are watching licence fee-funded content without a licence.”  Spot the difference?