Warning to people using Amazon Fire Sticks illegally as intelligence officers crack down on streamers

A warning has been issued to people who use Amazon Fire Sticks to illegally stream TV - with officials saying they could prosecute those who refuse to stop breaking the law.

Illegally streaming premium content like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Sky Sports has become a practice carried out by millions, but the chance of landing yourself in court for breaking copyright law looks bigger than ever.

In 2022, 19 percent of those surveyed said they'd illegally streamed or downloaded content in the past three months. And one popular way of doing this is via modified Amazon Fire Sticks.

While it's not against the law to own a modified or hacked fire stick, using it to watch the likes of Sky Sports is a big no-no and breaks copyright law.

Now, Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT UK) has revealed that more and more ordinary people are turning in those who they know illegally stream content via Fire Sticks and other devices.

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Cease and desist letters are now being rolled out by FACT, as well as its officers turning up to the doorsteps of those suspected to be illegally streaming content.

FACT said it has seen a 'significant' increase in the number of reports of illegal streaming over the previous 12 months, meaning more and more neighbours and friends are whistleblowing on those they know.

One professor has also said using streaming devices for illegal viewing could open you up to personal risk with your data at risk of being sold on.

A spokesperson for FACT UK said: "FACT constantly monitors the digital landscape to combat illegal streaming activities in the UK and Ireland. We utilise a range of methods to identify individuals engaged in unauthorised businesses that offer access to illegal streams.

"One of these methods is through our partnership with Crimestoppers to make it as easy as possible to report illegal streaming, and over the past year, we have seen a significant increase in the number of reports directly linked to Fire Sticks and illegal streaming.

"These reports are then investigated by our Intelligence Unit, and followed up with a rolling programme of action which includes issuing 'Cease and Desist' letters and conducting nationwide 'Knock and Talks'.

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"These home visits, undertaken in conjunction with law enforcement, serve to inform individuals about their activities and the immediate need to cease and desist or face further action or prosecution.

"We also work In close collaboration with law enforcement to gather further evidence to actively pursue legal actions against these criminal entities."

Dr John Dempsey, of the University of Central Lancashire, who specialises in cybercrime investigation, told MailOnline that users cannot be sure of their online safety.

He said: "Your personal data may be sold – this includes contact details such as email addresses, IP address, home address, credit card numbers.

"A Fire Stick contains an 'operating system' which can be infected by malicious software, which could then infect any device it is connected to – this may give a criminal access to other devices that are connected to your home network.

"The person selling the Fire Stick may even have included vulnerabilities or backdoors that allow them to access your network and collect network data."

Amazon Fire Sticks are priced between £35 and £70, with a number of models available.

The cost of streaming platforms varies, with Netflix starting at £4.99 a month and Sky Sports costing £34.99 a month.

LADbible contacted FACT UK and Amazon for a comment.