Warning to all Fire TV Stick owners over app ‘stealing their identities’ & ‘serious consequences’ in new crackdown
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A WARNING has been issued to all Fire TV Stick owners over an app that is "stealing their identities" and could have "serious consequences" in a new crackdown. Brits have been cautioned to avoid these Fire Sticks as there is likely malware that is "monitoring" them in "other ways" than they think.
![[Amazon Fire TV remote with Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Amazon Music buttons.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/remote-control-amazon-fire-tv-922846756.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
David Ingham, a professional in identifying illegal streaming, told The Telegraph that whilst TV programmes at a reduced price might sound appealing, buying them will come at a price. He explained there's a big network of intellectual property behind these cheap offerings and cautioned TV enthusiasts to avoid them.
"The networks that sit behind it are very much like drugs," he said. Similar to the drug trade, he said these piracy operations filter down from the organised criminals to the people who buy the products. In 2023, five men received combined sentences of more than 30 years in prison for running an illegal streaming operation.
They sold a £10-a-month subscription, offering viewers the opportunity to watch Premier League at a tiny cost, which bagged them a staggering £7 million in five years. These devices, which have become known as "jailbroken" or "loaded" Fire Sticks are teaming with apps that illegally stream global paywalled content.
Their popularity has become an increasing problem in the world of entertainment. Almost four million people in the UK illegally watched live sport in 2022, according to research conducted by the Intellectual Property Office. It's easy to see why more people are turning to these sticks, with subscription fees that would have cost around £1,000 a year costing as little as £30.
