Amazon Fire TV owners have been warned about a common trick that could damage the device forever
Owners of AMAZON Fire Sticks are urged not to stream TV via unofficial apps as this could break the device.
What's worse is that Fire Stick owners may also be fined for watching TV or movies through unofficial or pirated streaming apps.
This is only possible if the Fire Stick has gone through a process known as 'jailbreaking'.
Jailbreaking a Fire Stick is not only against the law in the UK and US, but can also permanently damage the Amazon device.
Fire Sticks give users instant access to TV shows from a range of streaming apps, such as Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+.
However, people often use their Fire devices for illegal streaming.
This led to the arrest of two British men in December, who were caught running an illegal Fire Stick operation.
The remote can be customized to sideload unofficial apps not found in the Amazon store.
A jailbroken Fire Stick can access pirate streaming apps, allowing users to search a wider library of pirated content – without paying a cent.
Under the UK Fraud Act, people caught illegally accessing TV services can face a prison sentence of up to five years and/or an unlimited fine.
While in the United States the maximum penalty is essentially a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, according to Nicole Haffpartner and chief litigation officer at Romano Law PLLC.
Permanent damage and data risks
Amazon has not completely blocked access to these unofficial apps.
But Amazon warns users about the dangers of adding unofficial software and encourages people to stream only through official channels.
Last year, the tech giant issued a new warning message to users to ban jailbreaking.
When an app is downloaded outside the traditional Amazon Fire store, in a practice known as sideloading, this warning appears.
The warning is intended to warn users who may not be aware of the dangers associated with adding unofficial software to their devices.
“WARNING: Using applications from unknown sources makes your TV and personal information less secure and may result in unexpected behavior,” the message said, AFTnews reported at the time.
“You agree that you will be solely responsible for any damage to your device or loss of data that results from the use of these applications.”
The warning appeared earlier this year when users wanted to sideload apps.
When you use applications from unknown sources, your TV and personal data are less secure and there is a risk of unexpected behavior
Amazon
It's not the only change Amazon has made to Fire Sticks this year.
An update in February 2023 blocked the installation of an app called 'Remapper'.
The app was first launched in 2021 after being developed by Elias Saba, the founder of Amazon Fire TV-focused news site AFTV.
It helped Fire TV owners open a different app than the one on one of the remote's four dedicated app buttons.
The first time the app was blocked was due to a change Amazon made to the Appstore, but a later update allowed the app to continue working.
But the app no longer works on Fire TV Sticks with the latest update.
Now when users try to access the app, Fire TV immediately kills and closes the app.
No TV license? Well, you're playing with fire too
AMAZON Fire Stick owners in Britain could also be fined £1,000 for not having a TV license.
Rules dictate that any device or service used to watch live streams needs a TV license.
You'll also need one if you use BBC iPlayer, whether live or not.
In the digital age of streaming, some households are confused about whether they need a TV license or not.
But with any device – not just Amazon Fire Sticks – it depends on how you use apps.
Conversely, some households may have a TV license, but they may abandon it if they don't watch live TV or don't have access to BBC iPlayer.
Read more here.
We pay for your stories! Have a story for the Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk