An ABC spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday that the company, which is a fully taxpayer-funded entity, had intended to introduce the mandatory registration during July and August.

"[We] decided to slow things down to ensure our audiences understand the benefits they will receive from creating an ABC account and the ways we manage and protect their personal information," the spokesperson added.

iview is a service that allows viewers to see programs that have already been broadcast or, in some cases, which are yet to go to air. Many commercial TV channels have similar services, but they require registration as this is used to monetise the service.

"Logins help us to make sure we provide relevant content and features for all Australians. Such data shapes the programming we create and the products we build, allowing us to continually improve the types of programs we produce and acquire," iTWire was told at the time.

But the ABC was silent when asked why, if this was the case, the registration was not made voluntary so that those who wanted to avail of any claimed benefits could register, while others were not forced to do so.

The ABC spokesperson added: "We are continuing to work with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to ensure we are industry leaders in terms of the use of personal data, in line with the trust that Australians place in the ABC.

"It is our intention to introduce mandatory logins for ABC iview by the end of the year."