Some of you may already know this, but it’s worth remarking on the passing of one of the quirks of the Wireless Telegraphy Act (1967). This was the Act of Parliament that required anyone renting or selling TV receivers to collect name and address details, and pass them on to the TV licensing authorities.
As part of the current government’s desire to streamline things for business, this requirement has been abolished, with effect from the 25th of June this year. So, if you’re buying a TV, video recorder, set top box, or any of the bits of kit that used to prompt a demand for your address in the past, it’s no longer necessary.
I’d be interested to hear if stores are up to speed on this; I’m sure some are. And I’m equally sure that if some could get away with it, they would try and use this requirement to harvest your data for their own reasons too.
The Impact Assessment for this decision is worth a read; one curious thing – to me at least – is that in the cost implications, because the BBC isn’t a business or a ‘civil society organisation’, whatever that is, then costs it incurs don’t count, whereas savings to retailers do. A brief announcement of the change is on the TV Licensing web site.
