[LINK] Privacy-hostile account requirement for iView - why?

[Karl Auer]

Thank you for your response, My ABC.

Please answer this specific question:

   What need, technical or otherwise, is addressed by *mandatory*
registration?

The case for optional registration is perfectly well made and need not
be repeated.

> We appreciate your concerns and we take them very seriously.

You are paying lip-service to appreciation and concern.

If you did appreciate my concerns or take them seriously you would have
made an attempt to address the question of why registration should be
mandatory.

As far as I know, the ABC has never made any cogent argument for
mandatory registration that is not addressed by optional registration.
If such an argument has been made, please point out where.

As to your other points:

> Requiring audiences to log in to an ABC Account helps us to continue
> to improve our services for all Australians. It means that we can
> understand what account holders are engaging with and we can make
> sure we are providing content and features for everyone.

This need is perfectly well served by simply seeing what programs are
being streamed most, which the least and so on. There is absolutely no
need to tie programming to individuals, at least not for the purpose
you state. If I am mistaken on this I would appreciate an explanation.

>  It also enables us to provide all the great features people expect
> from video streaming services, like saving your favourite programs to
> a watchlist, and to continue watching where you left off across
> devices.

Some people may expect these "great features". But some people - for
example, me - do not expect, want or need these features and object to
having to register.

> The decision to require audiences to log in is not a commercial one,
> but one that will ensure we serve the Australian public by ensuring
> that our content and products remain relevant into the future.

Again - no argument has been made as to how mandatory registration
serves that aim.

>  The ABC conducted Video On Demand research last year with a
> nationally representative sample of over 1500 people. 95% of ABC
> iview audiences expressed their desire for new and improved digital
> features.

Have the results of that research been released for public scrutiny? If
so, where can I obtain them? The devil is in the detail of such
research.

What features were asked about? Were the respondents asked explicitly
whether they wanted or would accept a requirement for mandatory
registration in order to access these features?

> That said, we are constantly monitoring audience feedback and
> reviewing our practices, including in relation to opt-out
> functionalities, to meet and exceed community expectation

I note with relief that the start date for mandatory registration has
been pushed off six months. We can but hope that sense will prevail at
the ABC by then.

Once again thank you for your response. I look forward to a much more
substantive response in answer to the above.

Regards,
Karl Auer.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)
http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer