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Android Authority
27-06-2025
- Android Authority
These Amazon Fire TV apps are being blocked for promoting piracy
TL;DR Amazon has begun blocking certain apps from its Fire TV platform for promoting piracy. The list of freshly blocked apps includes Blink Streamz, Flix Vision, Live NetTV, and Ocean Streamz. The disabled apps can no longer be used, and can only be uninstalled. Following sharp criticism for failing to stop piracy on its Fire TV platform, Amazon has started blocking several streaming services that pirate otherwise DRM-protected content. The list includes at least four video streaming apps, including Blink Streamz, Flix Vision, Live NetTV, and Ocean Streamz. According to two separate reports from YouTuber TechDoctorUK and AFTVNews, Amazon Fire TV devices display a warning message when these apps are either opened or newly installed via sideloading. The warning states that running these apps can 'can put your device or personal data at risk.' YouTube / TechDoctorUK Besides the warning message, Fire TV devices also prevent users from opening these apps. The warning message is accompanied by Keep and Uninstall buttons (as shown above). However, the Keep option is grayed out, leaving Uninstall as the only clickable option. The Fire TV won't delete the app automatically, but there's no guarantee that it'll start working again. The message citing 'personal data at risk' indicates Amazon is also focused on privacy, and suggests some of these apps may be malware. This is partially true for Flix Vision, which was found to be harvesting resources, such as the CPU on Fire TV sticks or smart TVs running Amazon's interface, and allowing developers to profit from them. For the rest of the apps, the ban appears purely to block access to copyrighted content. Nonetheless, Amazon hasn't specified the exact reason for blocking these apps. We reached out to Amazon for comment and will update the article if we hear from them. In recent months, Amazon has been severely criticized for its nonchalance towards piracy. Researchers at Enders Analysis recently accused Amazon (via the Independent) of allowing piracy on an 'industrial scale,' while the UK's Sky reportedly blamed it for failing to prevent illegal streaming that cost the broadcaster 'hundreds of millions of dollars.' Sky's chief operating officer Nick Herm also claimed more than half of the Fire TV devices sold in the UK were illegal jailbroken boxes. While eliminating jailbroken units may be a mammoth task, Amazon's action would certainly give it some relief from the backlash. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
The Sun
27-06-2025
- The Sun
More popular Fire TV Stick streaming apps are BLOCKED as Amazon issues serious warning to all users
AMAZON has blocked several popular but dodgy streaming apps from Fire TV Sticks in a fresh crackdown. The tech giant had already blacklisted Flix Vision and Live NetTV, confirming to The Sun this week that the pair "exhibited malicious behaviour". 1 It now seems that the firm has targeted more potentially dangerous apps. Blink Streamz and Ocean Streamz are the latest to be disabled, according to AFTVNews. A message apparently appears on screen warning users that the two apps "can put your device or personal data at risk". Ocean Streamz's website already flashes up as dangerous when trying to access it on Google Chrome. People are able to download shady apps because of Amazon 's open source tech on Fire TV Sticks, meaning you can download apps from outside the company's own app store as you please. Amazon has faced growing criticism for its response to illegal streaming. Broadcaster Sky has hit out at the US firm, saying it does not do enough to tackle piracy. Illegal streaming is estimated to be costing the industry "hundreds of millions of dollars". Nick Herm, chief operating officer at Sky, recently accused Amazon of failing to do "enough engagement to address some of those problems, where people are buying these devices in bulk". He also believes that modified Fire Sticks "probably" make up "about half of the piracy" in the UK alone. Warning over 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it. The software most commonly used is called Kodi. It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK. But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free. It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels. "These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content," the government said at the time. "They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions."
Scottish Sun
23-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Two popular ‘dodgy' apps showing football games for free are BLOCKED on millions of Fire Sticks
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TWO apps used to watch premium TV and football matches for free on Fire Sticks have been blocked, according to users. The pair of apps provide links to hundreds of channels from across the world, ranging from movies to sports. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 It's not clear why the two apps have been blocked Credit: Alamy They can't be downloaded from Amazon's own app store, instead people side-load them onto their Fire Stick and use a VPN to avoid detection. The two apps in question are Flix Vision and Live NetTV. Users have started complaining on social media that the pair no longer work, suggesting Amazon may have blocked them. It's not clear why at this stage. AFTVNews suggests that the block may have come about due to concerns over alleged malware hiding on the apps. Amazon has been approached by The Sun for comment. The tech giant has been increasingly accused of not doing enough to prevent illegal streaming. Earlier this year, broadcasting firm Sky hit out at Amazon for not doing enough to tackle piracy, saying that the problem is costing the industry "hundreds of millions of dollars". 'If you speak to friends and colleagues, [or] you watch football, people will know that you can get jail-broken Fire Sticks, and you can access pirated services on Fire Sticks,' Nick Herm, chief operating officer at Sky said in March. Herm accused Amazon in particular of not doing "enough engagement to address some of those problems, where people are buying these devices in bulk". He also believes that modified Fire Sticks "probably" make up "about half of the piracy" in the UK. Amazon has previously said that it is "committed to providing customers with a high-quality streaming experience while actively promoting a streaming landscape that respects intellectual property rights and encourages the responsible consumption of content".
The Irish Sun
23-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Two popular ‘dodgy' apps showing football games for free are BLOCKED on millions of Fire Sticks
TWO apps used to watch premium TV and football matches for free on Fire Sticks have been blocked, according to users. The pair of apps provide links to hundreds of channels from across the world, ranging from movies to sports. 1 It's not clear why the two apps have been blocked Credit: Alamy They can't be downloaded from Amazon's own app store, instead people side-load them onto their Fire Stick and use a VPN to avoid detection. Advertisement The two apps in question are Flix Vision and Live NetTV. Users have started complaining on social media that the pair no longer work, suggesting Amazon may have blocked them. It's not clear why at this stage. Read more about streaming Advertisement Amazon has been approached by The Sun for comment. The tech giant has been increasingly accused of not doing enough to prevent illegal streaming. Earlier this year, broadcasting firm Sky hit out at Amazon Most read in Tech Breaking 'If you speak to friends and colleagues, [or] you watch football, people will know that you can get jail-broken Fire Sticks, and you can access pirated services on Fire Sticks,' Nick Herm, chief operating officer at Sky said in March. Advertisement Herm accused Amazon in particular of not doing "enough engagement to address some of those problems, where people are buying these devices in bulk". He also believes that modified Fire Sticks "probably" make up "about half of the piracy" in the UK. Amazon has previously said that it is "committed to providing customers with a high-quality streaming experience while actively promoting a streaming landscape that respects intellectual property rights and encourages the responsible consumption of content ". Warning over 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it. The software most commonly used is called Kodi. It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK. But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free. It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels. 'These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,' the government said at the time. 'They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.'
The Sun
23-06-2025
- The Sun
Two popular ‘dodgy' apps showing football games for free are BLOCKED on millions of Fire Sticks
TWO apps used to watch premium TV and football matches for free on Fire Sticks have been blocked, according to users. The pair of apps provide links to hundreds of channels from across the world, ranging from movies to sports. 1 They can't be downloaded from Amazon 's own app store, instead people side-load them onto their Fire Stick and use a VPN to avoid detection. The two apps in question are Flix Vision and Live NetTV. Users have started complaining on social media that the pair no longer work, suggesting Amazon may have blocked them. It's not clear why at this stage. AFTVNews suggests that the block may have come about due to concerns over alleged malware hiding on the apps. Amazon has been approached by The Sun for comment. The tech giant has been increasingly accused of not doing enough to prevent illegal streaming. Earlier this year, broadcasting firm Sky hit out at Amazon for not doing enough to tackle piracy, saying that the problem is costing the industry "hundreds of millions of dollars". 'If you speak to friends and colleagues, [or] you watch football, people will know that you can get jail-broken Fire Sticks, and you can access pirated services on Fire Sticks,' Nick Herm, chief operating officer at Sky said in March. Herm accused Amazon in particular of not doing "enough engagement to address some of those problems, where people are buying these devices in bulk". He also believes that modified Fire Sticks "probably" make up "about half of the piracy" in the UK. Amazon has previously said that it is "committed to providing customers with a high-quality streaming experience while actively promoting a streaming landscape that respects intellectual property rights and encourages the responsible consumption of content". Warning over 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks Illegal streaming can be delivered by a number of devices by one of the most common are 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks, which means a third-party media server software has been installed on to it. The software most commonly used is called Kodi. It can grant users unrestricted access to new features and apps the normal version of the device wouldn't allow – but it is not legal to use in the UK. But it becomes illegal when a box is used to stream subscription channels for free. It is also illegal to buy or sell these modified devices which have become known as "fully-loaded" - a term that describes how the software has been altered to allow access to subscription-only channels. 'These devices are legal when used to watch legitimate, free to air, content,' the government said at the time. 'They become illegal once they are adapted to stream illicit content, for example TV programmes, films and subscription sports channels without paying the appropriate subscriptions.'
