I think the argument about no aerial is false: o Lack of a roof aerial or cable to such doesn't mean much o Many TVs have a rear loop aerial, or can use an internal aerial
It comes down to receiving a television programme. o A TV in an unoccupied home does not require a licence o However your house insurance soon becomes void :-)
The note about entry may also be false: o Detection equipment is used to prove a TV is in use
---- indeed exactly what channel is being watched o That may be sufficient in itself to issue proceedings
---- as opposed to gaining physical entry via warrant
I do know the detection equipment is range limited: o Wardens of many Halls Of Residence refuse Detection Staff entry o Since they can't get entry, they can't get 1600+ students to pay £120
Legally: o They must have to prove a broadcast channel was being watched o A TV on & tuned to the big-bang itself can not be enough Practically: o IIRC they have a list of addresses without TV licences o They probably use simple postcode s/w to identify location clusters o Then simply drive around & scan - around news/popular TV time
I don't think they are at stage of datalogging on a lamp-post :-) If they were, there would be a lot of unbroken Adshell bus shelters if they linked it up to a camera with a glass breakage detector :-)
The scanners are now small computer-controlled hand-held units.
People who have argued they just watched videos have been fined, but I suspect there was also proof of plain BBC1 TV watching also :-)
Comes down to asking them.
The dbase sellers to HMG are making a strong point of the sharing of dbase info - including market research - specifically for the use of data-mining with regarding to what-if taxation projections. There is the cover of national security re profiling from library cards upwards. That is true of the USG in particular, in a much bigger way.