Police believe as many as four million UK households stream the latest must-see television, Premier League fixtures, and blockbuster movies via so-called “dodgy” Fire TV Sticks. These popular gadgets offer access to copyright-protected material from the likes of Netflix, Sky Sports, DAZN, Disney+, and HBO Max, to name just a few – without the usual subscription costs.
Some of these illicit boxes require a small monthly fee to access content from these services, but it always undercuts the subscription costs from Sky TV and Netflix. Other “dodgy” boxes offer free streaming once you’ve covered the cost of the modified hardware.
Of course, there’s nothing illegal about owning a Fire TV Stick that you’ve bought from Amazon.
These gadgets have long been a popular and affordable way to bring games, social media apps, and streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and ITVX to any television with an HDMI port. The lightweight hardware supports chatty AI assistant Alexa, which can control smart lighting, internet-connected thermostats, Ring video doorbells, and other smart home devices.
But there is a dark side to these low-cost streaming devices.
Criminals can repurpose these devices, sideloading illicit streaming services that aren’t listed in the official Amazon App Store to unlock free streams of paid-for sport fixtures, blockbusters, or boxsets. Some of these services are free to watch, while others require a small monthly fee sent via PayPal directly to the criminals.
Although the custom-designed FireOS that powers these popular devices looks completely different to a Google Chromecast, underneath all of the graphics, it’s still powered by the same Android codebase.
Fire TV Sticks that have been “jailbroken” — i.e. had the restrictions usually put in place by Amazon to restrict software download to the approved apps in the App Store stripped away, so unauthorised software and streaming services can be run — were often sold online as “full loaded” or “dodgy” to denote the ability to watch copyrighted material at a fraction of the cost.
While the hardware used by criminals isn’t always from the Fire TV range, it’s happened often enough that the brand has become linked with this type of activity more than some of its closest rivals, like Roku or Apple TV, for example. Police don’t believe that all four million households suspected of streaming for free will be reliant on hardware built by the teams at Amazon, but rather, it’s become a catch-all term for these dodgy devices.
With the launch of its affordable new Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Amazon has taken action to sever the association.
Piracy has been slowly rising in the UK, bucking a downward trend in recent years. With the advent of easy-to-use and affordable streaming services, like Netflix and Spotify, piracy rates initially slumped.
However, the spiralling number of services required to watch the most popular shows or sport fixtures, coupled with subscription prices for all streamers steadily increasing and Britons feeling the bite of the cost of living crisis, has seen households hunt for cheaper ways to access content. Using these dodgy devices to stream copyrighted broadcasts, films, and popular TV shows is a breach of the law and can carry harsh penalties in the UK.
With the most talked-about shows spread thinly across a wide variety of streaming services, not to mention the cost-of-living crisis causing families to tighten their budgets, it’s unsurprising that these illegal Fire TV Sticks remain popular. Almost one in four people in the UK (23%) have streamed content illegally in the last three months, according to figures published by YouGov in 2023.
To combat these rising rates of illegal streaming, British police officers are now scouring bank statements to crack down on households hoping to stream for free.
Speaking anonymously to the Daily Mail, an officer who works across these initiatives revealed that law enforcement is drawing up lists of names and addresses of those suspected of illicit streaming at home.
Putting together these lists has been aided by new powers that let police track illegal activity via bank statements, as financial institutions are forced to hand over customers’ details that prove these devices have been bought.
Just last month, online bank Revolut was instructed to share the full names and home addresses of more than 300 “dodgy box” owners with Sky TV by the Irish High Court after funds were transferred to an illegal streaming service provider, David Dunbar, of County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland.
When police raid the homes of those who distribute “dodgy” Fire TV Sticks, they can copy lists of customers who are suspected of having bought these illegal devices from dealers. This will leave illegal Fire TV Stick users with nowhere to hide, the police officer who works at the forefront of these crackdown efforts told the Daily Mail.
Anyone on the list should expect a knock at the door.
The latest nationwide crackdown, dubbed Operation Eider, could result in unannounced home visits from officers with search warrants. Piracy watchdog the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) has coordinated the latest campaign with police.
Chairman Kieron Sharp said: “We have a wide range of enforcement options – from issuing cease and desist notices to ‘knock and talk’ visits – through to full criminal prosecutions where appropriate.
“We will take robust action against those involved – not only targeting sellers and distributors, but also those facilitating and profiting from the illegal activity.”
Britons who are tempted to ditch their Direct Debit to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, or Disney+ in favour of a dodgy Fire TV Stick with a subscription to all of the same shows, sports fixtures, and films should be aware that any money sent to dealers could be used to fund other criminal activity.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector Alethea Fowler, of the Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit in southern Wales, said: “Criminals rarely stop at just one income stream, and by purchasing illicit goods – such as an illegal streaming service fire stick – you are enabling further forms of criminality, often involving exploitation and harm.”
Cybersecurity risks are also significant. Modified Fire TV Sticks could be laced with malware or spyware capable of stealing passwords, banking details, and personal data to sell on the Dark Web.
DCI Alethea Fowler of Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) said: “Users of illegal streaming services may see it as a harmless crime, but there is no such thing. Not only do the end users of these services face risks such as loss of personal data and fire risk to their property, but they are also funding serious and organised crime.
“Criminals rarely stop at one income stream, and by purchasing illicit goods, you are enabling further forms of criminality, often involving exploitation and harm. We would encourage anyone who is considering using illegal streaming services to consider the risks to themselves, their families, and their wider communities. Tarian ROCU will continue to work with partners such as FACT to identify distributors and bring them to justice.”