Report Warns 17 Million Europeans Use Fire Sticks for Pirated Streaming, Credit Card Theft

A new report by Enders Analysis warns that criminals are exploiting illicit live sports streams accessed via devices like Amazon's Fire Stick to steal credit card information and infect users' devices with malware. The report highlights that one in eight people aged 16 to 24 engage in illegal streaming, which is facilitated by three main factors: opportunistic rebroadcasting of live events on social media, embedding malware through streaming platforms, and paid pirate TV services masquerading as legitimate operators through devices such as the Fire Stick. The widespread use of pirated TV services in Europe is estimated at 17 million people, with annual losses ranging from £900 million to £21 billion. The Fire TV Stick, while designed to provide access to thousands of legitimate services, is branded a "piracy enabler" due to its misuse for illegal streaming. The report criticizes major tech companies for their apparent ambivalence and inertia in addressing these security issues and inadvertently steering consumers towards illicit services. Amazon has responded by stating it has made changes to Fire TV to hinder pirated content and warns customers against sideloaded apps.