Yesterday’s most popular story on the BBC website was the news that people who watch BBC programmes only on the iPlayer will be required to buy a TV licence to view the content from the 1st of September. Commenting on the news, Richard Patterson, director of security and privacy comparison and advice website, Comparitech.com, said:
"I suspect a large number of people, who have until now watched BBC programmes free of charge on iPlayer, will sign-up to VPNs in an attempt to avoid detection and continue watching the service without a license. VPN's allow users to hide their identity as well as spoof their location and they are already a popular workaround for Brits wanting to watch iPlayer when abroad. While a number of VPNs have been blocked by iPlayer, there are still many available which skirt the ban allowing users to conceal their identities and potentially dodge the license fee. So while the BBC's change in license fee may frustrate some consumers, VPN providers may experience a notable uptick in sales."