Reality of 'dodgy' IPTV firestick warning that can pop up on your TV at anytime

A growing number of people are seeing a warning message when trying to watch TV through the internet via devices like a firestick.

When they try and use the gadget to access an app which allows them to watch IPTV it pops up and offers them the choice between uninstalling the app or launching it despite the warning.

It says: "One or more apps on your device have been identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content, including this app, and will be disabled. To remove this app now, select 'Uninstall' below."

If you're seeing this the reason is because of Amazon's crackdown on piracy and illegal streaming which has led the company to start identifying apps they think people are using to watch things on without paying.

This warning screen is just the first step of Amazon's plan as they are working to block apps identified as part of an illegal streaming network from Fire TV devices.

More people are getting warnings like this when they try and watch TV (Facebook)

An Amazon spokesperson 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."

So if you're seeing the warning screen then the chances are you're using a 'dodgy' firestick which has been loaded with the kind of software which would allow someone to stream content you'd normally have to pay for.

Naughty, naughty.

If you want a clearer view of what the warning says, it looks like this (Amazon)

Alright, enough of the finger wagging, you probably wanted to watch something and figured the price of the various streaming platforms was a lot of money to be spending, even if what you were doing was illegal.

You wouldn't be alone in thinking that, a study into illegal IPTV streaming in the UK found an awful lot of Brits think it's 'socially acceptable' to go outside the confines of the law on this one and 'affordability' is one of the main reasons given for that.

Unfortunately you are breaking the law doing this and could get in trouble, and you also run the serious risk of exposing yourself to various other dangers by using dodgy devices to access dodgy platforms.

The government has pointed out these devices are not exactly safe as they 'often lack parental controls' and could be exposing your kids to all sorts of content without your say-so, while some of the gadgets are also just shoddily built fire hazards that failed basic safety tests.

Meanwhile, campaigns to tackle dodgy streaming sites have warned that lots who access these apps end up losing more than they'd have saved as piracy and fraud picks their pocket.

Warning messages for apps deemed dodgy are starting to be rolled out (Getty Stock Photo)

BeStreamWise warns that 39 percent of illegal streamers have lost money due to piracy-linked cybercrime, with the average amount someone loses being £1,680.

One in 10 who suffer this way lose over £5,000.

Kieron Sharp, chairman of The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), told Yahoo News it just 'isn't worth the risk' as he warned that people's information was in the hands of illegal streamers, explaining that police often identify users of dodgy devices after busting illegal streamers and finding they've got data on the people using their platform.

Chartered security professional James Bore previously told LADbible that the crackdown might prevent people from watching shows without a paywall, but keeping people away from these apps had 'some actual benefits for users'.

He said: "There is the issue of malware on firesticks. It does happen. It's not common, but it does happen.

“If you're giving the device to someone else that you don't know to edit it, essentially you're buying something that's fallen off the back of your truck after someone else has had their grubby mitts over it.

You could be exposing yourself to all sorts of problems as many who access illegal streaming end up being scammed out of their money (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

“It could be carrying all sorts of nasty payloads. What Amazon are doing will help to prevent that, there's no question about it, but that's not really going to make a difference to the people who are using them for this sort of streaming because they will just go to other manufacturers where they've got the same risk.

"It might be capturing your password, it might capture your credit card number when you put it in. For some extreme apps it might record your voice as you're sitting in your living room."

The cybersecurity expert said these consequences were 'technically possible' but fortunately 'aren't common', and many people would be protected by the fact they're 'not interesting enough to be spied on with dodgy hardware like this'.

"It's a simple fact, and it's a good thing, because if we were, it's not difficult to do, because these devices are not especially secure," he explained.

With 90 percent of illegal streaming sites classed as 'risky' people using them are putting themselves at serious risk.