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UK Illegal-Streaming Crackdown Escalates With Four Arrests in West Yorkshire Raids

FACT identifies priority regions, warning users of legal and security risks.

Overview

  • Police raided four properties in West Yorkshire in late October and arrested four men on suspicion of involvement in an organised sports-streaming operation, with alleged copyright and money-laundering offences reported.
  • Specialist officers seized digital devices during the raids, and all four suspects were interviewed and released pending further investigation, according to reporting relayed from The Athletic.
  • FACT says enforcement is active year-round and has published targeted UK areas including London, the Midlands, the North West and North East, with separate reporting noting an advanced effort in Scotland.
  • Courts continue to impose significant penalties for illegal streaming operations, including a three-year jail term handed down in 2024 to Jonathan Edge for selling and using illicit devices.
  • Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Select is reported by a cybersecurity source to use a new in-house OS with tighter app permissions and no current VPN support, changes that commentators say may hinder jailbreaking.