A licence for your computer ?

Question

Does anyone know of any plans or proposals by the British government to bring in a licensing scheme for us to use our computers for everyday use, such as emails or internet use?
You already need a licence if you watch TV on your computer,(TV licence). And there are the usual fees for Broadband etc. But I would like to know if there are plans for another tax.

I did ask a similar question which I withdrew because of abuse.
This is a straightforward question , so would any grown-ups care to answer ?

Answer 1

Here is you answer. : - )

THE BBC licence fee should be replaced by a tax on the ownership of a personal computer instead of a television, ministers said yesterday.
Tessa Jowell told the BBC that the licence fee would be retained for at least another ten years until 2017 in return for abolishing the Board of Governors. But the Culture Secretary conceded that technological advances would mean that a fee based on “television ownership could become redundant”.



More than six million households have access to high-speed broadband connections and the BBC has begun experimenting with broadcasting video clips over the internet.

A legal loophole highlighted by the communications regulator Ofcom means that viewers could watch television and listen to radio over the internet and mobile devices free, potentially costing the BBC millions of pounds in licence fees.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Green Paper setting out the BBC’s long-term future proposed a solution that could end the traditional fee.The paper suggested “either a compulsory levy on all households or even on ownership of PCs as well as TVs”. It said that technology might render it difficult to collect and enforce the fee.

Officially, the Government says that changes would not be needed until 2017, when the next BBC royal charter expires. A spokeswoman for the Department for Culture said that it was not worried for now, but insiders said that the department would act if internet viewing took off.

Over the next few years, internet broadcasting is set to increase rapidly as the quality of the images improves. The BBC already broadcasts all its radio stations over the internet, and began broadcasting live coverage of the Olympic Games last summer. The BBC has promised further internet broadcasts and is launching a hand-held viewing device.

Ofcom predicts that more than half of Britain’s households will be watching television over the internet by 2012.

Answer 2

I've heard no such plans, but isn't it inevitable? Excuse my cynicism, but anything that's popular and people can't live without is ripe for taxing, especially if there's a neat, cheap and almost invisible way to garner the tax, like adding a special duty at the point of purchase. Then there'll need to be standards, complaints procedures, oversight of infrastructure development, production of public service elements, etc etc and before you know it a new government department or quango will be born, and the ever-increasing costs of all that will mean the tax needs to go up, and up. But of course, we can afford it. I would guess an initial easy-going 5% tax, rising to 100% within 15 years. Petrol is effectively taxed at 200% on the underlying product price, so 100% would not be particularly ambitious, especially if the rate is gradually raised as the underlying product price falls.

Answer 3

The only licence that I have heard of as yet is a broadcasting licence... needed to broadcast on line:

For example

Stream video
Audio (Radio on line)
TV

-EDIT-

Please read the following article - the BBC does plan to replace TV licence for a Computer Licence but at a similar cost.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1508650,00.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/03/pc_tax/

Answer 4

I Don't think there are any such plans. the television licence allows you to operate unlimited tvmonitors on your premises, so your PC already covered! If you HiTech and have huge plasma screen in your lounge only, then you will have to pay TVlicence for that even though you receiving it thru broadband connection!

Answer 5

I've never heard anything, but it would be a hard tax to enforce and a bit unfair on all the families who have computers mainly for their children to study and learn..if any thing they would have to take a cut from the Internet providers who in turn would put the cost up to us to reimburse themselves so if it does ever happen we'll end up paying regardless

Answer 6

Yes 2017 they are going to start ripping us off in that way.

Write to you MP and request a license fee payers national vote because most people are against this unfair, archaic tax despite what MPs and the BBC say.

Answer 7

I certainly hope there isn't, the government get enough money off us without Licensing the bloomin Internet

Answer 8

I cant see how they would get away with that. The goverment are trying to get all school age kids using pcs. That would make them more unaccessable to the poor. I dont really think you have anything to worry about on that one.

Answer 9

Sounds strangely similar with what the Liberals are trying to do with firearms in the U.S.

Answer 10

Shush!! Don't give Tony B-Liar any more money making ideas puuhhhlease!!