Overview
- Amazon’s latest Fire TV measures block piracy apps at the device level and restrict VPN workarounds, with the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select running VegaOS that curbs sideloading.
- FACT and police report ongoing enforcement with raids, home visits and cease‑and‑desist notices targeting suppliers across regions including London, the Midlands, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and South Wales.
- BeStreamWise data indicates 40% of illegal streamers surveyed suffered financial fraud, with one in ten reporting losses of £7,500, and many others facing malware and security scares.
- UK law classifies using modified devices for unauthorised content as an offence under the Fraud Act 2006, with potential fines or prison on conviction, and up to a £1,000 penalty for watching live TV without a licence.
- Authorities say enforcement prioritises sellers, citing recent custodial sentences for suppliers, while security experts warn that seeking workarounds or buying pre‑cracked devices heightens malware and data‑theft risks.