The fully taxpayer-funded national broadcaster the ABC have made a decision to force everybody that use their Iview product to have a username and password.
From: https://help.abc.net.au/hc/en-us/articles/360001963636
“From July 2021, we will be asking you to log in to an ABC Account to stream programs on ABC iview.”
See also my background video:
The reason given for this move is that it will give viewers a better customer experience, by providing suggestions applicable to their viewing habits, the ability to resume a video from the point where it was last watched, as well as other benefits.
Another reason given is, this is the way the other streaming services operate. Those other services are not fully taxpayer funded.
For those people that wants such functionality that is ok, but ALL ABC iview uses are eventually going to forced to have it, if they want it or not. It is not going to be optional. No reason has been given for it not being optional.
Regardless of the objections that of been made, the ABC is pushing ahead with it.
If you're concerned about security and don't wish to have to use a username and password, that could possibly uniquely identify you, but wish to continue using iview then I recommend you follow my directions below.
Normally you have a username and password for security reasons. You have information that you want to keep private and do not want others to see or have.
In the case of ABC iview, it's the opposite way around. By having a username and password you would be giving information about your personal viewing habits to somebody else.
I have set up a special Gmail email address, which is:
thisisnotme184@gmail.com
And used it to create a ABC account with the name:
thisisnotme
That has the password: A123456z##
Use the above details to log into ABC iview rather than setting up your own account. Unless for whatever reason you want to have your own account.
It's actually easier to use this account than having to set up your own account.
The more people do this, the more the ABC will see they're doing the wrong thing, by trying to force people to have a username and password.
It also means that your individual viewing habits will not be able to be determined, because multiple people, hopefully 1,000s, will be using the one account.
For SBS Catch-up TV the email address is:
thisisnotme184@gmail.com
The surname is “Thisis”
And the password is
A123456z
I rarely ask people to pass information on.
But in this case I'm asking you to do so, because it can achieve something positive. The reversal of a bad decision on behalf of the ABC.
It's possible both legally and technically that the ABC could circumvent the use of this one account above.
But if they do, it will just prove they have other motives than what they have articulated.
If you think all the above is not worth worrying about, consider that this could be the thin edge of the wedge.
At some point in the future broadcast TV may become defunct and be replaced by streaming only services. Most likely advertises would love that, because then they can do 100% targeted advertising and know exactly if it's effective.
Some commentators have stated, that because of changing technology, in the future, corporations and government will know more about individuals, than those individuals,know about themselves.
Consider that, in determining what you do or don't do now.
My background video on this: