>you still have to have a TV License even if you only use iPlayer.
Yes, that's correct - they changed the law a few years ago (previously it only applied to Live TV, using iPlayer was exempt from a TV License)
>How they would detect that I'm not sure (maybe the van can sniff https traffic /s)
I don't think they do anything with it yet, but when they do I'm pretty sure they'll take their log data of IPs accessing programme content from their CDN and ask the corresponding UK ISPs to identify if any of those accesses were from people at (list of addresses without a license) and issue a warning, and then request their details to bring them to court if they keep using it. I'm sure the ISPs will be willing to help them, and even as a privacy advocate I can't say I'd be bothered by this - those people are using a service they have not paid for.
It does seem like it'd be easier to simply require that you pay for your TV License through your BBC account, though, since that blocks anybody on a VPN who doesn't hold a license.
>but is there a streaming service that has the BBC's content without the license?
BBC does license their content worldwide, and there's a strange relationship with BBC America - so if you're wanting to access it legally outside the UK that's your best approach. Within the UK, Netflix certainly has a (limited, but good) number of BBC programmes licensed.
Yes, that's correct - they changed the law a few years ago (previously it only applied to Live TV, using iPlayer was exempt from a TV License)
>How they would detect that I'm not sure (maybe the van can sniff https traffic /s)
I don't think they do anything with it yet, but when they do I'm pretty sure they'll take their log data of IPs accessing programme content from their CDN and ask the corresponding UK ISPs to identify if any of those accesses were from people at (list of addresses without a license) and issue a warning, and then request their details to bring them to court if they keep using it. I'm sure the ISPs will be willing to help them, and even as a privacy advocate I can't say I'd be bothered by this - those people are using a service they have not paid for.
It does seem like it'd be easier to simply require that you pay for your TV License through your BBC account, though, since that blocks anybody on a VPN who doesn't hold a license.
>but is there a streaming service that has the BBC's content without the license?
BBC does license their content worldwide, and there's a strange relationship with BBC America - so if you're wanting to access it legally outside the UK that's your best approach. Within the UK, Netflix certainly has a (limited, but good) number of BBC programmes licensed.