Fire Stick users issued warning message on screens as ‘crackdown’ continues
Brits watching TV on Fire Sticks who might be accessing some apps they shouldn't be are starting to get fresh warning messages on their screens when they try and stream illegally.
As part of a multi-step crackdown on illegal streaming, Amazon has been identifying apps which they think people are using to illegally stream content without paying and giving viewers the option to uninstall them.
Initially, the warning message was that this app someone was trying to get into was 'identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content'.
People had the option to uninstall the app or 'launch anyway', but that was just the first step and the new warning message no longer allows viewers the option of proceeding.
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According to Cordbusters, some Brits are starting to see the new warning which says: "This app has been disabled because it has been identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content."
The only options now are to uninstall the app or to dismiss the warning without launching it, so these dodgy platforms are now becoming inaccessible to the point they're just taking up space.
Meanwhile, AFTV News reports that beyond not being able to access apps which were already downloaded, Amazon is now stopping them from being installed altogether.
Trying to install those apps will be blocked, at least for those Amazon has identified as platforms where illegal streaming can be carried out.
If the apps which have already been installed on devices can't be accessed and new attempts to install them are obstructed, then it tackles a major pillar of illegal streaming.
Of course, there are other dodgy devices and apps out there which would contain workarounds, but the Fire Stick is one of the most popular streaming devices in the UK and while most streaming is done legitimately, there are a significant number of people doing it outside the confines of the law.
Amazon is not banning sideloading apps onto their devices, which is where you can install apps onto a Fire Stick without going through the Amazon Appstore, only those which have been flagged for piracy.
They still consider sideloading an important feature for developers who want to test their apps, but if an app which is sideloaded onto a device gets identified as a problem, then it's not going to last.
A spokesperson for Amazon said: "Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore.
"Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we 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."
Topics: Amazon, Technology, Crime, TV
Joe Harker