While many of us have cut the cord and switched exclusively to streaming content, all those services and their monthly subscription fees add up. It’s no surprise that people seek out alternative ways to get content to help manage costs. Unfortunately, not all of them are entirely legal and many aren’t supported through smart TVs and streaming sticks.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick has been one of the easiest to use to gain access to a plethora of streaming services, including the big names as well as niche offerings, some of which skirt the rules. But that is coming to an end with Amazon’s announcement that it will be cracking down on certain apps.
The move will reportedly include a slew of apps that permit the streaming of illegal content, including ones that show movies and sports without a valid subscription. The change will roll out to all devices, new and old, through a software update. The new Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which runs on Linux versus Android, will be more guarded right out of the box.
Which apps will be blocked
According to a statement from Amazon, any apps that are identified as being able to provide access to pirated content will be blocked. This includes, most notably, apps downloaded from outside of the official Appstore, though it’s important to note that Amazon did not call out any apps specifically. Illegal apps are typically added by side-loading them onto the device, a common practice among owners. But the change will also include apps downloaded from the official Appstore if they don’t comply with Amazon’s legalities.
The apps in question will presumably be identified using the Trusted Notifier program by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global anti-piracy coalition. Think you can be clever and get around it by using a VPN? That won’t work because any app identified as giving users access to pirated content will be blocked, period.
Some of the apps users suspect could be included in the block include Stremio, Magis, and CyberFlix, though these have not been confirmed. Some Fire Stick owners point out that the move won’t stop pirated streaming but only push customers to alternative devices such as Android TV boxes and Raspberry Pis.
Users are upset, but should they be?
Understandably, users are upset, especially those who have side-loaded apps on older-model Fire Sticks. But should they be? In reality, these apps are illegal. They provide access to content, whether it’s movies, TV shows, or sporting events, without compensation to the creators, license holders, networks, or streamers. It’s effectively a form of stealing.
Still, services are expensive and customers feel they shouldn’t have to sign up for a package just to watch one football game or a single TV show. That’s where the complications in streaming exists. There are so many services — with rising costs for each — that it has become difficult again to gain access to everything you want. But that doesn’t justify illegal activity either.
In the meantime,side-loading apps makes your devices vulnerable to viruses, malware, and spyware, so this switch helps ensure a safer streaming experience. Nonetheless, for users who have become accustomed to “free TV,” that will end with Amazon Fire Sticks, new and old. You’ll have to sign up for other top streaming services, approved free streaming apps such as Tubi and Pluto TV, or look at Fire Stick alternatives. But it’s only a matter of time before others follow suit.
