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Author Topic: BBC restricting website access?  (Read 3049 times)

sevenlayermuddle

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BBC restricting website access?
« on: June 24, 2019, 04:22:08 PM »

For the past few weeks, every so often when visiting the BBC news pages, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news,  I get an irritating popup...

“The BBC is better when you sign in...”.   I was out of the UK when it started happening, but it still continues now I am home again.      Anybody else seeing this?   Personally, I can not sign in, as I have not registered an account.   And I am not going to register an account as a) I can’t be bothered thinking up a new password, and (b) I haven’t the time or inclination to read their 26 pages of privacy policy. :(

For the time being it seems possible to just close the popup, but I wonder if long term plans are to restrict access to registered users only?
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gt94sss2

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2019, 04:46:20 PM »

At the moment, registering on their website just seems to mean that you get more 'regional' news.

However, an account is now compulsory to use their apps (on most platforms).
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2019, 06:45:54 PM »

I was aware that iPlayer now required signin on most platforms.  But that is a different kettle of fish as iPlayer content has always been restricted (to license holders), so adding an extra layer of restriction is not such a big leap.

But browsing BBC news website does not require a license, and I was not aware that BBC news Apps had started to require sign in - is that really the case?

Strikes me that, in the past, we’ve seen stories of BBC news websites being blocked by unsavoury dictators to prevent oppressed populations getting true and impartial (if you believe that) news from BBC.   If they start demanding signin they may save the unsavoury dictators the bother, as many such oppressed people will not be too keen to identify themselves by signing in. :(
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kitz

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2019, 01:43:17 AM »

Just seen it for the first time this evening

Quote
By clicking on the "Sign in" or "Register" link on the news homepage you can login to a BBC account. Having a BBC account gives you a number of ways to make the most of the BBC. Find out more here.

If you dismiss the message above without signing in then we'll remind you after a few days when you use the news homepage again.

If you dismiss the message four times then we'll stop showing you the message. If you use different devices/browsers to access the news homepage then you may see the message appearing on each device/browser.
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Weaver

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2019, 03:25:39 AM »

This is why I don’t use the BBC any more.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2019, 08:46:32 AM »

Have to say, I am somewhat suspicious of their motives.   It has been possible for years to ‘personalise’ the BBC News website, such as a personalised local news/weather region, simply stored in a browser cookie.  They may have decided that the data they collect from signing in is of saleable commercial value, or maybe the long term plan is to make it a payable website.

@Kitz, maybe I’m being thick, but where did you find that explanation you quoted?   It is twaddle.   I have seen the banner hundreds of times, over the past week or two, on my iPad.   I suspect it works on a simple timer, and reappears if it is more than about ‘n’ minutes since my last visit.   I have not measured ‘n’ but it could be quite short, less than 60 and maybe just about 10.

@Weaver (or anybody) can you recommend a better source for news?   Trouble for me is whilst I have a growing dislike of BBC, and a growing distrust of BBC news, I’ve yet to find a source that’s not worse.
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Bowdon

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2019, 10:11:50 AM »

It sounds like some kind of cookie, especially when it says if you use another browser/device you will see the banner again, after it stopped on the previous one.

If you have your browser set to wipe cookies on exit then it would show the banner all the time.

I sign in. It just asks if you have a TV license and then when I put yes it lets me in. I also sign in via the ps4 and it remembers what I've been watching, even if I'm mid-programme.

I just think if I'm paying for a tv license then I want to use all the facilities. But I think you're right about the long term plan is to make it payable, at least the iplayer. I would be surprised if it become a pay site for tv licence holders. But they could make a lot of money from people outside the country paying for it, like in the US. British TV seems to be having a resurgence of popularity over there at the moment.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2019, 12:45:01 PM »

I agree, presentation of the prompt is probably controlled by a cookie, but I don’t interfere with cookies or automatically delete them.  So not my fault, seems to be a BBC bug.

As mentioned earlier I can’t login as I don’t have an account, and don’t want one.   But even if I did, I’d be reluctant to log in simply for browsing news media.  In exactly the same way, whilst I do have a Google account, I rarely login - no matter how many times they tell me Apps such as Maps would work better if I did so.   Logging in unlocks a large amount of personal data tracking to be used or misused, and I’m simply not convinced that Google’s privacy terms, or the BBC’s, are in my the best interests of their users.

But oddly enough, BBC have mysteriously stopped prompting me, as of this morning.   Thank goodness. :fingers:
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Weaver

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Re: BBC restricting website access?
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2019, 10:17:21 PM »

> can you recommend a better site for news.

I certainly can’t, I have no opinion because I am so ignorant and isolated. Will have to defer to others who know something about anything.  ??? :-[
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