Amazon’s crackdown on Fire Stick piracy escalates, as four men were arrested in the UK over an alleged illegal sports-streaming operation generating hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
According to The Athletic, the individuals were detained on suspicion of copyright and money-laundering offences after police carried out raids across four properties in West Yorkshire during the final week of October.
Investigators say the case began with one suspect believed to be selling illegal IPTV services. A review of his bank activity linked him to a wider network of resellers operating across the country. That led officers to three more men, all suspected of being connected to the same organized crime group.
Each suspect is alleged to have run their own cluster of IPTV sellers beneath them. Early estimates suggest the wider operation was pulling in six-figure annual profits. All four were interviewed and later released pending further investigation.
Tom’s Guide reports that the group sold hacked Amazon Fire Sticks as part of the scheme, which Amazon has now made a priority to stamp out.
Amazon aims to “block piracy” with new Fire Sticks
The arrests come as Amazon prepares to shift its ecosystem toward Vega OS, the new Linux-based operating system that debuted with the Fire TV Stick 4K Select. Unlike the older Android-based Fire OS, Vega OS does not allow side-loading, closing the loophole that made it easy for Fire Stick users to install unverified streaming apps.
Amazon is also taking a tougher stance on Fire OS itself. Unauthorized streaming apps are now being targeted and removed through a strengthened enforcement program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment.
“Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore,” an Amazon spokesperson told TechRadar. “Through an expanded program… we’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our Appstore.”
Vega OS devices currently don’t support VPN apps either, although an update enabling them is expected soon.
The UK’s Federation Against Copyright Theft warned that buyers of illicit streaming services are often funding serious organized crime groups. They also face risks such as malware, stolen data and identity theft.
Using apps that provide access to paid-for sports or films without permission is a criminal offence under section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006. A summary conviction can bring up to 12 months in prison, while the most serious cases can lead to a five-year sentence.
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