Amazon Fire TV under fire. New report: “Big Tech doesn’t want to fight piracy”

All you need is a cheap dongle, an app from the internet, and a few clicks on the remote — that’s all it takes to illegally watch sports broadcasts from around the world. New report Enders Analysis (via flatpanelshd) criticises the biggest Big Tech companies (Google, Microsoft, META, Amazon), accusing them of passivity and even facilitating piracy on a massive scale.

Fire TV – the key to illegal transmissions?

At the centre of the accusations are Amazon's Fire TV devices. The authors of the report label them outright as "devices that support piracy". It is precisely through Fire TV, often unlocked and sold with pre-installed IPTV applications, that many users gain access to illegal sports broadcasts. The data speaks for itself: as many as 59% of Brits watching pirated broadcasts do so via Fire TV – according to data from the BBC for the first quarter of 2025.

The situation is worsened by the fact that illegal devices are actively promoted and sold on Meta social media platforms – primarily on Facebook and WhatsApp – where there is a lack of effective moderation of advertising content.

DRM? It was meant to protect, but now it seems not to work

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, is a security system intended to protect digital content from unauthorised copying and sharing. Theoretically, it should prevent pirates from intercepting movies and series. In practice – according to a report – it does not work as it should.

The focus of the authors has been on two major systems: Widevine from Google and PlayReady from Microsoft. These are the very protections used by popular streaming services. So what’s the problem? They have already been broken at various levels of security – warns Enders Analysis. Additionally, Microsoft has not updated its system since December 2022, and Google – according to the report – is not sufficiently engaging with content owners.

“Over 20 years after their launch, DRM solutions from Google and Microsoft are in a dramatic state. There is a lack of commitment and collaboration with the industry. It simply isn’t their priority,” analysts emphasise.

In response, Google stated that it takes copyright infringements seriously. Microsoft did not comment on the matter at all.

Amazon responds: end of Android

Although Fire TV is built on Android, Amazon is announcing major changes. As noted by the editorial team at flatpanelshd, the company plans to replace the current operating system with a completely new platform called Vega OS, based on Linux. A key detail? Vega OS will block the installation of external APK applications, which may put an end to the practice of installing unauthorised streaming tools.

Piracy in the Streaming Age

The Enders Analysis report paints a picture of a complex problem: on one hand, the rising costs of legal access to sports and films, on the other - cheap devices, weak security, and the lack of a decisive reaction from tech giants. Companies in the Big Tech group play a dual role today - as allies of broadcasters, while also being unwitting accomplices to pirates.

Will the planned system change in Fire TV be a turning point? Time will tell. However, piracy is still thriving. And technology is not making it any harder.

Source: www.flatpanelshd.com