ABC to delay mandatory iview login
ABC to spend more time on managing personal information, with logins now due by end of year.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News, Top Stories
EXCLUSIVE: ABC has chosen to delay its mandatory login for iview.
Due to take effect from July, it will now be introduced by the end of the year.
The change follows questions in a Senate Estimates hearing around the mandatory aspect and personal information being required of users to register.
ABC said in a statement, “We had initially intended to roll out mandatory log-ins across July and August but have decided to slow things down to ensure our audiences understand the benefits they will receive from creating an ABC account and the ways we manage and protect their personal information.
“We are continuing to work with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to ensure we are industry leaders in terms of the use of personal data, in line with the trust that Australians place in the ABC. It is our intention to introduce mandatory logins for ABC iview by the end of the year.
“The response from Australians has been overwhelmingly positive. We have seen more than 1 million (1,014,983) new ABC accounts created from 29 March to 29 June, inclusive. Over that same period, we have received 180 complaints – ie. complaints represented 0.017% of total sign-ups.”
A login has been optional for iview since May 2020 and has been mandatory at SBS on Demand since November 2016.
9Now also requires a login while 7plus and 10Play require a login for catch-up, but not Live viewing.
15 Responses
The ABC wants to profile viewers so the can collect data on what people are watching and target promos at them to get them to watch more iView. It would also allow them to claim that x number of kids watch iView each week. It’s less information than you you have to fork over to get a library card, or enter a shop these days.
It would only cause a problem if they tried to use it to flog merchandise through their shop, or buy commerical data to match it with. The ABC shouldn’t be that stupid because it would cost them more than it gained.
Still not a reason for a public broadcaster to make logins compulsory. They can get the same data through a opt in system.
Could have something to do with glitches in the rollout of the updated streaming client too.
I know on quite a number of TVs, particularly pre-Android Sonys, the new iview client is refusing to install, instead coming up with an ‘out of memory’ error.
Hope they postpone this permanently. Am yet to see a good reason why ABC is making this compulsory. The Opt in system as its stands should be the way they keep it. Log Ins only lead to problems every time you turn a device on or off.
I am also suspicious of ABC’s motives – as one thing that hasn’t had a lot of coverage is their “opt out” policy for Google and FB sharing of our personal information.
Surely the ABC should have an “Opt In”, not “Opt out!” of personal information sharing to US Multinationals!!!
From what I can recall when I set mine up, the information they require for a login is fairly rudimentary. Would not be hard to just sign up with a fake name, etc if people are that worried.
I don’t quite understand why people are so precious about giving information to the ABC, though. We gladly sign up to things like Netflix, Uber, banks, etc. with email addresses, birthdates, credit card details etc. Our browser histories and smartphones contain and transmit more information about us than we probably care to imagine, and the Government knows everything about us through the ATO, Centrelink, Medicare, Vic Roads, myki/opal cards, e-Tags, etc. A fairly basic login to use iview seems not a big deal in my opinion. We seem readily happy to give our private data anywhere else and probably with less safeguards.
Why does a login need to be compulsory on a public broadcaster catch up service?
So you can keep track of what you’ve watched, for starters.
Being forced to sign up I am more likely to provide bogus information just so I can login and view the content. For example I am 88 years old and live in postcode 2525 when I am actually 35 and live in Sydney. If I opt in I would be less likely to provide bogus information for a start. I did exactly that when Nine started having compulsory sign ups to watch content while others such as 10 and 7 did not. While my viewing history can be saved so I can continue watching where I left off is convenient is not a acceptable reason to be forced to do so. The ABC is a public broadcaster and needs to be accessible to all including those who choose not to sign up.
Improved functionality across multiple devices. That sounds like a win to me. This is just ABC iView keeping up with user expectations of functionality available on every other platform – functionality you cannot do without a login.
Concerned about handing an organization your email address? Create a second email address for free using a service like gmail or outlook and keep that for all websites that require a login like this.
A once only log in per device should be sufficient much as it is for all apps including the ABC, I know that the SBS on Demand require occasional new log ins after an app update but nothing too intrusive apart from visiting their site to enter a code, the SBS’s inane and highly intrusive advertising algorithm is a lot more aggravating.
Nothing worse than rushing to watch the news and then you have to log in (and have to remember your credentials) and then watch 3 ads, which means you’ve missed the top story or story playing that you’ve rushed to tune into from a friend tipping you off.
Logins should not be on ABC.
The rest sure, but not for Live tv.
Why do we need to log on to watch TV ? Oh that’s right so they can sell our info to make more money – bye bye – you are no longer a national broadcaster
Do you put in your real information on this website to make comments? Do you use any social media platforms with your real details?
Just put in anonymous details when you sign up. It’s not hard.
I have an older Samsung TV but I can’t upgrade to the latest version of the app and therefore can’t log in. Glad they delayed to login mandate as it has a high rotation of Bluey and Octonauts 🙂
‘7plus and 10Play require a login for catch-up, but not Live viewing.’…..Yes the do!!!….I have not been able to watch live for quite sometime now…just saying.