I’m from the states and just heard of the concept for the first time. Curious where this came from and how it’s enforced.
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In the U.K. you need* a TV license if you either watch or record live TV, or use the BBCs own streaming app: iPlayer. I believe it goes back to when TV first came about in the U.K. and it was only state TV of the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) available.
Nowadays, the TV license goes towards funding the BBC. Many people avoid paying it now by saying they only stream TV (excluding iPlayer) and no longer watch or record live TV.
The * is against “need” as you don’t technically “need” it for those things. You can still do those things without a license and many people do. You can easily get around it by saying you only stream TV (excluding iPlayer) to no longer pay the license. It’s pretty unlikely to get caught out doing this too tbf.
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