Amazon Fire TV under fire. New report: “Big Tech does not want to fight piracy”

It’s enough to have 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 from Enders Analysis (via flatpanelshd) strikes at the biggest Big Tech companies (Google, Microsoft, META, Amazon), accusing them of passivity, or even facilitating large-scale piracy.

Fire TV – the key to illegal transmissions?

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

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

DRM? It Was Supposed to Protect, but Now It Doesn't Work

DRM, or Digital Rights Management, refers to security systems designed to protect digital content from unauthorized copying and sharing. Theoretically, these systems should prevent pirates from capturing movies and series. In practice – according to the report – they do not work as they should.

The focus of the authors is on two major systems: Widevine from Google and PlayReady from Microsoft. These are the protections used by popular streaming services. So what is 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 – does not sufficiently engage with content owners.

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

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

Amazon reacts: the end of Android

Although Fire TV is built on Android, Amazon announces significant 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. The key detail? Vega OS will block the ability to install external APK applications, which could cut off the practice of installing unauthorized streaming tools.

Piracy in the Age of Streaming

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

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

Source: www.flatpanelshd.com