September 17, 2025, 12:02 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
According to a new report, certain Amazon products are facilitating piracy. And to a significant extent.
Hundreds of millions of people regularly watch movies, series, shows, or sports via a streaming service. The market is more diverse and successful than ever, almost oversaturated. And this has consequences for everyone: For some time now, interest in illegal streams has been growing, and companies have yet to find a suitable solution to the problem. A new analysis has now emerged that places at least partial blame on one of the largest providers. Apparently, Amazon products make piracy surprisingly easy because they can allegedly be easily manipulated for this purpose.
Amazon Fire TV Sticks Misused for Piracy
This conclusion was reached by the team at the research firm Enders Analysis, as reported by the “Independent.” In their investigations, experts found that in the United Kingdom alone, more than 50 percent of all consumers of illegal video material used a product from the well-known shipping giant for this purpose. In particular, Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks are said to be driving piracy forward.
The main function of the sticks is quick and easy access to various streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video on TV devices where no corresponding native apps are available. However, according to the analysis, it is possible to modify them to show illegal streams instead of the well-known services.
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Significant Damage from Illegal Streaming
According to Enders Analysis, the resurgent trend toward online piracy is causing billions in damages, as, for example, revenue is lost for broadcasters during live soccer broadcasts. At the same time, companies like Meta or Google are accused of ensuring the problem persists due to “ambivalence and inertia.”
TECHBOOK has asked both companies for a statement on the accusation. We have also requested a response from Amazon regarding the Fire TV Sticks. Responses from Google and Meta were not available by the time this article was published and will be added here once they are received. Amazon, on the other hand, provided the following statement:
“Pirated copies violate our intellectual property protection policies and endanger the security and privacy of our customers. We work with industry partners and relevant authorities to combat piracy and protect our customers from the associated risks. Our Appstore prohibits apps that infringe on third-party rights, and we warn our customers about the risks associated with installing or using apps from unknown sources.”
An Amazon spokesperson
According to the “Independent,” Amazon has already announced that it is fighting piracy and has made changes to the Fire TV Sticks to deter people from streaming illegally.
Illegal Streaming Is Getting Stronger
While the investigation was conducted for the UK, the problem is by no means limited to this region. It has already been discussed in Germany–for example, in the well-known podcast “Fest und Flauschig” by Olli Schulz and Jan Böhmermann, as discussed on Reddit.
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Another problem related to this is also mentioned. Not only can Amazon products technically enable piracy, but they can also fuel a criminal business. People are selling modified Fire TV Sticks for illegal streaming. Authorities are now cracking down hard, and there have already been arrests and imprisonments.
Nevertheless, online piracy continues to rise worldwide. Causes include financial difficulties for consumers and simultaneously rising subscription prices. The fragmentation of the market with too many providers is also a factor.