Amazon is rolling out a device-level crackdown on illegal streaming apps across its Fire TV Stick ecosystem, starting in France and Germany before expanding globally in the coming weeks. The move targets the estimated 4.7 million UK adults who use Fire Sticks as their go-to piracy platform, representing a 200,000 increase from two years ago according to YouGov Sport research.
Amazon just declared war on the multi-million person piracy economy built around its Fire TV Sticks. The company's rolling out device-level blocks on illegal streaming apps, starting with deployments in France and Germany that will expand globally over the next few weeks and months, according to reporting by The Athletic.
This isn't your typical app store cleanup. Amazon's implementing hardware-level restrictions that will render useless the VPN tricks that previously let users bypass geographic content blocks. The move comes as Tech Radar reports that even sophisticated workarounds won't be able to beat Amazon's new blocking system.
The timing isn't coincidental. Amazon launched this crackdown just weeks after introducing the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which runs on Linux instead of the easily-modified Android software that powered previous generations. The new hardware includes what Amazon calls "beefed up security measures" and limits app installations to only those available through Amazon's official app store.
"Piracy is illegal and we've always worked to block it from our app store," an Amazon spokesperson told The Athletic. "We'll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our app store. This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses and fraud."
The numbers explain why Amazon's taking action now. YouGov Sport research commissioned by The Athletic found that roughly 9% of UK adults illegally streamed sports content in 2025 - that's about 4.7 million people, representing a 200,000 person increase from two years ago. Fire Sticks have become the second most popular piracy method, with 31% of illegal streamers using plug-in devices compared to 42% who rely on unauthorized websites.
