This comes as someone in the UK was jailed last month for selling and using ‘dodgy’ firesticks.
It is technically not against the law to own an Amazon firestick which has been ‘jailbroken’ in order to give access to any streamer of your choice.
It is, however, illegal to use the to stream paywalled content for free.
A warning for those who use dodgy firesticks… (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
Police have visited homes up and down the country in a clampdown on illegal streaming.
Spearheaded by the ‘Federation Against Copyright Theft’ (FACT), a two-week enforcement operation is underway.
This is occurring in partnership with local police forces, and, as per The Mirror, is primarily focused on ‘dismantling piracy operations, targeting more than 30 suppliers selling unauthorised access to paywalled content’.
They are, however, also making stops to individual persons to serve cease-and-desist letters to those using dodgy sticks. Letters were also sent via the mail to various addresses thought to be using illegal streaming sites to watch TV, films, and live sport.
The clampdown applied to regions across the UK, which include:
- London
- Kent
- Sussex
- Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- Lincolnshire
- Staffordshire
- East and West Midlands
- Greater Manchester
- Cheshire
- Merseyside
- Northumbria
- North Yorkshire
The clampdown followed the jailing of Jonathan Edge, 29, for three years and four months.
Edge received the jail sentence after ignoring a cease-and-desist warning from FACT. He continued after this to sell and use dodgy firesticks, and was faced with a private prosecution by the Premier League.
In addition to this, a 42-year-old man from Newport was arrested as part of FACT’s operation.
Police have visited homes up and down the country in a clampdown on illegal streaming (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
The CEO of FACT, Kieron Sharp, said in a statement: “Our cease-and-desist measures are not just warnings—they are the first step toward holding offenders accountable. Many who ignored these notices in the past are now facing arrest and criminal charges. We strongly advise anyone involved in these activities to stop immediately.
“If you’re supplying or using illicit streaming devices or illegal IPTV subscriptions, take this as a clear warning: you are breaking the law and risk facing serious consequences.
“We will continue working with police to track down and shut down these illegal operations. The police across the UK have been unstinting in their efforts to tackle this criminality and we are grateful for their assistance.
“To those using illegal streaming services, the message is that you’re not just committing a crime; you are putting yourself at risk. These services often expose users to malware, scams, and data theft, with no recourse when things go wrong.
“The safest, smartest and only choice is to stick to legitimate providers for your entertainment.”
Amazon Fire Stick 4K – how much is it and what features does it have?
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There are currently a handful of Amazon Fire Sticks on offer ahead of Christmas.
These include the Fire TV Stick 4k (currently £34.99 down from £59.99) which allows users to stream thousands of films and TV shows on Netflix, Apple TV+ and Disney+.
It also features Alexa Voice control and is compatible with devices like lights, thermostats and smart cameras.
