Anyone with a 'dodgy' Amazon Fire stick might want to think twice about their actions as police have announced another major crackdown on illegal streaming devices, targeting eight new areas as part of a fresh operation.
The price and availability of pre-existing streaming services has prompted a significant increase in the number of alternative illegal options on the market right now, with the Amazon Fire stick proving to be the go-to hardware to enable the activity.
Offering a somewhat similar experience to finding an illegal stream on any device, these streaming gadgets are modified with third-party installations that allow people to draw from Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services and stream everything including sport, films, and the latest TV shows.
It's proven to be particularly lucrative among sports fans, as the cost is far lower than traditional broadcast providers, and viewers are able to circumvent location-based rules that prevent certain matches from being shown.
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Both law enforcement and the broadcasters themselves are understandably unhappy with this, however, and there has been a long-running battle to eliminate illegal streaming on the market.
As reported by the Daily Mail, a new police campaign known as 'Operation Eider' has targeted eight specific locations across the United Kingdom alongside the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), serving as a warning for those who both watch and distribute illegal streaming content.
14 cases in total have been identified as part of the operation so far, with the locations targeted including the following:
- London
- South West England
- North West England
- North East England
- Scotland
- Wales
- Yorkshire and Humber
- West Midlands
Most of the arrests so far appear to have involved those distributing the software and content, with one receiving three years after making as much as £1.1 million ($1.48 million) from the illegal business.
Amazon itself has started to crack down on the activity too, as it has changed its rules so that flagged software both can't be downloaded or accessed by users, causing illegal platforms to constantly be on the move or left stuck with an app that is inaccessible.
Police have outlined the danger that illegal streaming causes not just to the broadcasters but to the viewers themselves, with Detective Sergeant Adam Dagnall outlining that it "often helps fund organized crime and puts users at real risk.
"Not only is it a criminal offence, but the unauthorized streaming services frequently contain malware that can compromise personal devices and lead to the loss of information such as banking details, or be used to commit identity fraud," he continued.