Amazon is rolling out a major and tough new policy designed to block illegal streaming apps loaded onto its Fire TV Stick devices. This is an intensive move by Amazon to combat piracy, among other things, but this restriction is planned to apply to all Fire TV devices and sticks.
While Amazon's wording makes it seem like only Fire TV Sticks will be affected, the crackdown isn't actually about the stick itself. The change will be software-based, so any smart TV with a built-in Fire TV operating system will run the same software. These are sold as “Fire TV Editions” from brands such as Toshiba, Insignia or Pioneer. The new policy will apply to this entire ecosystem, meaning these TVs will also be updated to block apps.
The move appears to build on years of frustration from rights holders and broadcasters who have seen the Fire TV Stick become an important tool for content theft. Previous versions of the Fire TV Stick came with open source software for developers. This open environment made it incredibly easy for unauthorized downloads of third-party applications onto the system, which often provided illegal streaming platforms.
These platforms typically charge users a small subscription fee. Sometimes you only have to pay between $50 and $80 a year, which is usually the cost of a single streaming service. So that makes it much more tempting to use.
Data from YouGov Sports reveals that around 4.7 million UK adults watched illegal broadcasts in the last six months. Of these illegal viewers, 31 percent used a Fire TV Stick or similar connected Internet Protocol Television, or IPTV, device. This makes the Fire TV Stick the second most popular method of illegal streaming after accessing content directly through websites.
I would say the biggest problem for Amazon was that its device was gradually becoming synonymous with the problem of piracy. While it may seem like it's not Amazon's fault, if the company doesn't do anything, it could be accused of deliberately creating an environment for pirates.
Amazon has already begun taking steps to change the hardware side of the equation. Just last month, the company released the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select. This device connects to your TV to stream online, and Amazon insists it will be a much smaller breeding ground for illegal activity. It runs on the new Vega operating system and has improved security measures. This setting allows customers to only download apps that are available on Amazon's official app store, making them much more difficult to download.
What's important for existing Fire TV Stick owners is that this new policy isn't limited to new hardware. An Amazon spokesperson told The Athletic: “We will now block apps that are identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our app store. This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses and scams.”
To be fair, there have been pirates in open systems, but the idea of an open system is not a bad one. However, it seems that the safest way for Amazon to combat piracy and malware is to simply eliminate the possibility. The crackdown has already begun in Germany and France, but Amazon has confirmed it will expand these global efforts in the coming weeks and months.
Source: Athletic
