TV<\/strong> Licensing knows you’ve bought a TV<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Picture a world where innocent shopping transactions must be reported to the authorities, who can then persecute the shopper. Vicky Kennard wanted to buy a present for her mother-in-law and ordered a video and DVD player from Dixons<\/strong>. It was to be delivered directly to her mother-in-law’s address, but nevertheless Kennard – who does not own a television – was contacted soon afterwards by TV<\/strong> Licensing. She was told that Dixons<\/strong> had informed it of her purchase and that she must either buy a licence, prove someone else in the house had one, or provide the name and address of the person she had bought the video player for. “Surely under the Data Protection Act, Dixons<\/strong> had no right to pass on my details,” Kennard says. In fact, Dixons<\/strong> and all other dealers are required by the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 to provide TV<\/strong> Licensing with names and addresses of everyone who buys or hires TV<\/strong>-related equipment within 28 days of the purchase. Otherwise they face a fine.<\/p>\n Guardian<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now magnify this to everything you buy<\/em>.<\/p>\n Someone somewhere, or even worse, some computer somewhere<\/em>, will know what you have boutght and where, and then will tax you accordingly. This is already happening without a national ID card; imagine what they will be able to do with the system up and running.<\/p>\n And now, this illustrates once again, the dangers of insider shenanigans at the NIR:<\/p>\n \t\t \t\t\t <\/font><\/p>\n\n
![\"Gregory](\"http:\/\/newsimg.bbc.co.uk\/media\/images\/41537000\/jpg\/_41537270_oleary203.jpg\")
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