Dodgy apps that allow Amazon Fire Stick users to watch live sports and Hollywood movies illegally have been blocked.
Amazon sell Fire Sticks, which has allowed users to stream content both legally and illegally.
While Amazon have been keeping illegal TV apps off their store for years, users have managed to get around the block by “side loading” apps onto Fire Sticks.
The unofficial apps are installed from outside of the app store are has allowed football fans and movie enthusiasts to stream high profile matches and the latest Hollywood blockbusters illegally for years now.
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However, Amazon have since instigated a crackdown and will be blocking these apps for the first time.
'We'll now block apps'
“Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore,” an Amazon spokesperson said via The Sun.
“Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our Appstore.
“This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses, and fraud.”
This won’t affect users who use a Fire Stick to legally stream apps such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
The block will apply at device level, which means even if you have access to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) you won’t be able to use a side-loaded Fire Stick to access apps downloaded outside of the Amazon approved app store.
A VPN won't save you from the block
There has been a rise in popularity in VPNs in recent months in order to watch football matches outside that wouldn’t nominally be shown on TV in England as a user’s location and internet activity is concealed.
The UK’s decision to implement a block on porn earlier this year means those looking to access pornographic content must undergo a robust age-check, which resulted in a 77% decrease in UK users accessing PornHub and saw the number of people using a VPN spike to 1.5m people daily.
However, if an app is identified as providing access to pirated content, then it won’t work. The crackdown is not just restricted to the UK, but is a global block on illegal apps.
“While there will inevitably be some user backlash, streaming content illegally is against the law,” expert Paolo Pescatore said.
“But there is a broader problem: consumers are forced to pay escalating subscription fees to watch content.
“Broadcasters are spending more to secure live sports rights and passing these costs onto consumers who can’t afford them, leading to a messy, fragmented experience.
“The privacy problem can only be solved by a cohesive effort by everyone, from glass to glass, including telecom companies that own the pipe and block any potential illegal streams.”
The issue has been that a number of subscription websites have increased their prices in recent months, with Netflix and Disney+ among those to raise subscription fees.
A number of users have been forced to cancel subscription services due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, which includes sports packages available via Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
Topics: Football, Premier League
Ben McAleer