Illegal streamers might no longer be able to cheat their way to premium content as authorities crack down on ‘dodgy’ Amazon Fire Sticks.
These ‘dodgy’ devices have been in the news a lot lately after efforts to shut down the networks distributing them began last year, as well as stopping those using them at home.
Providers have reportedly cut off their underhand customers, leaving them without content such as Premier League football and films ahead of Christmas, under pressure from this crackdown.
The Federation Against Copyright theft (FACT) said they continue to target anywhere in the UK and Ireland ‘where the data shows that illegal streaming activity is taking place’.
What are dodgy fire sticks?
The sticks, also called ‘jailbroken’ or ‘modded’ sticks, involve crooked vendors installing official streaming apps so users can watch for free.
Using these devices, which include USB sticks and other boxes plugged into a TV, is against the Fraud Act and can lead to hefty fines.
Police forces and the anti-piracy body FACT have been seizing the fire sticks and making arrests.
Amazon has also joined the crackdown – its new Fire TV Stick 4K Select has a key change that makes it harder to turn into a dodgy stick.
A cybersecurity expert told Metro that the device no longer uses Android but a new in-house operating system called Vega. Now, apps uploaded on the new device will have a harder time gaining permission for things such as internet connectivity.
The device also does not yet allow the use of VPNs, which disguise where internet traffic is coming from, and are a key tool for ‘dodgy’ sticks.
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