Fire TV is cracking down on piracy apps, including the ones you sideloaded

What you need to know

• Amazon will start blocking piracy-related apps on all Fire TV devices, including sideloaded ones.
• The company says the move protects both media creators and users from malware and fraudulent apps.
• The restriction has already begun in France and Germany and will expand globally in the coming weeks.

Piracy has become a major issue for streaming platforms, and Amazon will now begin blocking all piracy-related apps on its Fire TV devices.

In a statement to The Athletic, Amazon said it is "actively working" on blocking access to apps known for allowing users to stream pirated content on the platform (via 9to5Google). This restriction will apply not only to apps that have made their way into the Fire TV Appstore but also to those sideloaded onto Fire TV devices.

Amazon stated it will "block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our app store." The company added that this move will protect both media creators and customers, as pirated apps can often "expose users to malware, viruses, and fraud."

No more sideloaded piracy apps on Fire TV

The restriction applies to both new and old Fire TV devices and has already begun in France and Germany. Amazon says it plans to expand the rollout globally in the coming weeks and months.

This follows The Athletic's report that in the UK, over 30% of illegal sports streaming came from Fire TV and other IPTV devices. Fire TV devices have long been linked to illegal sports streaming since third-party apps can be easily sideloaded onto these sticks, giving users access to pirated sports content at a fraction of the legal cost.

It seems Amazon is now putting an end to this. In addition to blocking access to pirated apps on older devices, the company has also begun restricting sideloading entirely with the new Fire TV Stick Select, launched earlier this year.

The new streaming device runs on a new non-Android operating system called VegaOS, which, according to Amazon, includes enhanced security measures and allows app downloads only from the official Appstore, effectively ending access to pirated streaming apps.