Amazon has finally stood up to piracy by blocking all third-party applications downloaded to Fire TV Sticks. This decision was made known for the first time in July of this year, when Jeff Bezos’ company decided to block the installation of apps from external sources because the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select blocks access to pirate platforms by integrating the Vega OS operating system. Therefore, after announcing with great fanfare that it would begin to block the execution of certain applications that illegally broadcast content, Amazon has already begun to stop these piracy practices.
This measure has begun to be implemented in France and Germany and, furthermore, affects both older Fire TV Sticks and newer versions when it is identified that said devices are used to reproduce illegal content, as the newspaper has learned The Athletic through statements from an Amazon spokesperson.
But why has Jeff Bezos’ company made this decision? Amazon claims that Piracy is an “illegal” act and which has been working for the past few months to block it from its app store. Therefore, with the implementation of this new measure, now downloads are prevented apps from third parties and the use of applications with access to pirated content.
On the other hand, Amazon intends to protect users from malwareviruses and fraud that can occur when playing pirated content, since it opens a door for cybercriminals to steal personal or banking information. This is what the spokesperson says: “Safeguarding the security of our customers is of utmost importance, and we regularly monitor and take action against potentially harmful third-party applications.”
It is worth mentioning that At no time has Amazon sold illegal devicesUsers simply installed external APKs to watch content illegally thanks to pirated IPTVs. But with the arrival of the new FireTV Stick 4K Select, This malicious action already has its days numbered because it is not based on Android, it has reinforced security measures and includes the limitation of downloading apps from third parties.
The risks when watching pirate football
A few days before the start of the 2025-2026 LaLiga season, said organization chaired by Javier Tebas warned of the risks of accessing illegal football broadcasts.
In a statement, LaLiga announced that “More than 50% of viruses detected on the Internet come from pirated services or illegal download platforms“. Therefore, in this situation, he reinforced his idea that pirate football “is a serious threat to security and privacy of those who access illegal broadcasts of LaLiga matches.” These are the risks faced by the viewer:
- Malware: By downloading files from unofficial sources such as APKs, users can allow viruses, ransomware, Trojans and other types of malicious software to be installed
- Financial fraud with cards or false payments: Criminal organizations behind the structure of pirate services can steal personal information, such as passwords, banking details or even credit card data.
- Security flaws due to lack of software updates: System updates fix security vulnerabilities, which can be exploited by criminals. Additionally, it is important to remember that pirated apps and devices are not updated or are maintained with tampered versions.
- Possible legal problems when using illegal networks: Piracy is a crime against intellectual property.