Sky customers who used illegal Fire Sticks to stream content have been warned they face being cut off if caught.
Two people were arrested over allegations of illegal streaming following raids by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police earlier this month. A 30-year-old man is suspected of operating an illicit streaming service and a 32-year-old woman is accused of distributing copyrighted material and handling criminal property.
The arrests were made as part of a clamp down on so-called “dodgy” Amazon Fire Sticks, which are pre-loaded with premium content for sport, films and TV shows and accessed for free by users. Two residential properties in Oldbury and a data centre in Cheltenham were targeted in the recent raids.
Matt Hibbert, group director of anti-piracy at Sky, said the company “will continue to work alongside the police and industry partners to tackle piracy and disrupt the criminal networks behind it.” PIPCU said the arrests are a reminder that they ‘will pursue criminals who seek to profit from illegal streaming and disrupt their operations.’
What are the punishments for using illegal Fire Sticks?
People who use Fire Sticks are technically committing fraud as they are using services without paying the rightful provider.
Richard Meehan, senior associate of the commercial team at Myerson Solicitors, told Yahoo News UK that the law “specifically makes it a criminal offence if you dishonestly receive a broadcast from a place in the UK with the intent to avoid payment of any charge”.
Users may also face civil copyright infringement claims for watching unauthorised content. Meehan said “there is no maximum level to the fine which can be imposed on an individual found guilty of the offence”.
However, prosecution is rare for consumers and warnings or civil action, as seen in 2023 when the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) issued cease-and-desist letters to thousands of UK users, is more likely. Meehan explained that much of the enforcement is instead targeted at people selling the devices, as well as businesses showing illegal streams – such as football matches screened in pubs.
However Meehan warned: “individuals should not think that they are immune from prosecution.”
What are the dangers of using illegal streaming devices?
Using illegal streaming sticks comes with significant risks, particularly the threat of being hacked or scammed.
These devices expose users to cybercriminals who exploit their lack of regulation.
Malicious software embedded in these devices or their apps can steal personal data, such as bank details or login credentials, leaving users vulnerable to identity theft.
These devices also often connect to servers that are prone to phishing scams that prompt users to enter payment details for “subscriptions,” only to drain accounts or install ransomware.
Using illegal sticks to stream content comes with a variety of risks. (Crimestoppers)
These sticks can also compromise home networks, allowing hackers to infiltrate other connected devices.
According to data compiled by Crimestoppers, some five million users of illegal streaming sticks experienced fraud, a virus or data theft in 2024, while 2.8 million were hacked – up a third from the previous year.
Another 1.5 million users had money stolen and 2.6 million had some sort of problem with their connected devices.