Pay for your internet access. Then pay for a dozen subscriptions. Then don’t forget your telly license too.
Remind me how this shit isn’t extortion.
A Swedish mole or a charged particle will solve a good majority of these issues; IYKYK
Direct-Mongoose-7981 on
Someone tries to break into my house… “nothing we can do”
Use dodgy fire stick “That’s 12 months in prison”
Next time someone tries to break into my house I’m going to say that they had dodgy fire sticks in their pockets as well.
JarJarBingChilling on
What a waste of time and police resources. They care more about corporations’ bottom line than actual serious crimes. Mugs.
Nuthetes on
Glad the police are keeping the streets safe by protecting the billionaire’s profit margins
Redditisfakeleft on
In other news: Amazon reports sales of new Fire Stick model “disappointing”.
ElCaminoInTheWest on
The cops are absolutely going after the makers and distributors of these devices, rather than users. There are millions of users and it’s very unclear how they’d even begin to go tracking them down.
Ancient-Paint6418 on
For all those commenting about how it’s a waste of police time/resources, I’d argue the complete opposite.
Notice how it’s been reported in the Liverpool Echo, suggesting it’s a regional issue not a national one. You could suggest that devices are being modified by low level criminal groups being used by much wider organised crime groups as a means of generating some funds to spend elsewhere (drug trafficking, human trafficking, weapons trafficking…I could go on). If a device has been modified and they’re able to raid homes, that indicates that the devices that have been modified are traceable and known. So the police wouldn’t just be knocking on your nans door and checking to see if she paid Dodgy Dave to alter her fire stick.
So no, it isn’t a waste of police resources, it’s actually a fairly clever, deliberate effort to reduce organised crime in the region. Bravo once again to those in the thin blue line.
Express-Hawk-3885 on
Streaming has gotten so bad an fragmented that people are even going back to physical media. The streaming companies have fucked themselves over being greedy or launching their own service
officialullock on
Same headline comes out every few weeks, they don’t give a shit about catching people using them, it’s the sellers they want. Just scare tactics that boomers see on Facebook and believe it.
KebabAnnhilator on
During 2024, Jonathan Edge, aged 29 at the time, from Anfield Road in Liverpool, was handed a 40-month custodial sentence for distributing Firestick devices that allowed customers to unlawfully access Premier League football fixtures. Meanwhile in 2025, Sunny Kanda, then 40, from Creek View in Halifax, received a two-year jail term relating to “supplying and distributing TV fire sticks and concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity”.
As usual nobody reads the article.
This is related to selling and distribution.
Nobody has received jail time in the UK for using one, and nobody will.
Although they are kind of shit anyway. Set up your own personal server.
fsfaith on
“This is a crime that diverts funds away from the entertainment industries, money that supports thousands of technical and support staff.” Sure sure. Which is why pay for those people have been largely stagnant but the paychecks for the top players are getting fatter and fatter. Cut the bullshit.
SuomiBob on
Some fuckstick broke into my car back in October. Middle of the day, parked outside my house. Brazen as you like. Managed to somehow get in and steal sunglasses and the like but fortunately couldn’t steal the car itself.
Called the police, nothing they could do. They wanted ME to contact all the neighbours and collect any available ring doorbell footage etc and send it to them.
So fuck them! If fire stick raids are more important than theft and burglary etc something has gone very wrong.
Captainatom931 on
If you read the article you’ll see that no users have actually been investigated, arrested, or fined. It’s distributors that have been target.
Absolutely appalling headline.
Rommel44 on
How are they even getting warrants to raid people’s homes?
Just a lesson for all: there’s no need to use a firestick dodgy or otherwise. A few internet links gives you everything you need for free. No middle man or technical set up or payment required. Those dodgy firestick people were selling you something that they got for free that is literally one click away.
Maximum-Success-229 on
Do if I have a fire stick , how will they know it’s dodgy?
BuffaloPancakes11 on
Absolutely zero chance they have the time, resource or personnel to go to the homes of the average person just using these devices
The major suppliers maybe, but these stories have been coming out every 6 months for years now
Also they love to drive the “you’re funding major criminals and nefarious activities” narrative when the few people I know who have distributed streaming apps before are just a few tech savvy nerds from work
matdevine21 on
In Liverpool…who’d have thought it.
Seriously they put this article up every few weeks, wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a paid for ad by the premier league or other content providers to scare people into subscribing.
Logically, the article is saying police raided peoples houses to find dodgy fire sticks….if they meant they identified a supplier who was selling them online then it’s more believable.
BBC used to run adverts scaring people into paying for a tv licence and their special vans can detect you…sounds familiar? (Later proven false and didn’t exist)
I’m not advocating for illegal streaming nor do I think the current fragmentation of content is affordable and sustainable especially in this financial climate…it’s almost like piracy died when content was affordable and easy to access.
circleribbey on
>Jonathan Edge, aged 29 at the time, from Anfield Road in Liverpool, was handed a 40-month custodial sentence for distributing Firestick devices
Fun fact, the average sentence given for sexual assault in the UK is 36-48 months. The average for GBH is 24-36. Across violent crimes as a whole it’s about 20–22.
Interesting that the courts consider dodgy fire sticks as much more serious than violent crime, and about a serious sexual assault
Flipmode45 on
“Individuals caught illegally streaming face penalties reaching thousands of pounds, alongside the possibility of imprisonment for up to 12 months.”
Utter bollocks. No individuals are getting fined or being put in prison for streaming. Copyright infringement is a civil matter in the UK.
People that sell devices enabled to access pirated content are being targeted, not individuals who bought a dodgy Fire stick from a bloke down the pub.
21 Comments
Pay for your internet access. Then pay for a dozen subscriptions. Then don’t forget your telly license too.
Remind me how this shit isn’t extortion.
A Swedish mole or a charged particle will solve a good majority of these issues; IYKYK
Someone tries to break into my house… “nothing we can do”
Use dodgy fire stick “That’s 12 months in prison”
Next time someone tries to break into my house I’m going to say that they had dodgy fire sticks in their pockets as well.
What a waste of time and police resources. They care more about corporations’ bottom line than actual serious crimes. Mugs.
Glad the police are keeping the streets safe by protecting the billionaire’s profit margins
In other news: Amazon reports sales of new Fire Stick model “disappointing”.
The cops are absolutely going after the makers and distributors of these devices, rather than users. There are millions of users and it’s very unclear how they’d even begin to go tracking them down.
For all those commenting about how it’s a waste of police time/resources, I’d argue the complete opposite.
Notice how it’s been reported in the Liverpool Echo, suggesting it’s a regional issue not a national one. You could suggest that devices are being modified by low level criminal groups being used by much wider organised crime groups as a means of generating some funds to spend elsewhere (drug trafficking, human trafficking, weapons trafficking…I could go on). If a device has been modified and they’re able to raid homes, that indicates that the devices that have been modified are traceable and known. So the police wouldn’t just be knocking on your nans door and checking to see if she paid Dodgy Dave to alter her fire stick.
So no, it isn’t a waste of police resources, it’s actually a fairly clever, deliberate effort to reduce organised crime in the region. Bravo once again to those in the thin blue line.
Streaming has gotten so bad an fragmented that people are even going back to physical media. The streaming companies have fucked themselves over being greedy or launching their own service
Same headline comes out every few weeks, they don’t give a shit about catching people using them, it’s the sellers they want. Just scare tactics that boomers see on Facebook and believe it.
During 2024, Jonathan Edge, aged 29 at the time, from Anfield Road in Liverpool, was handed a 40-month custodial sentence for distributing Firestick devices that allowed customers to unlawfully access Premier League football fixtures. Meanwhile in 2025, Sunny Kanda, then 40, from Creek View in Halifax, received a two-year jail term relating to “supplying and distributing TV fire sticks and concealing bank transfers linked to criminal activity”.
As usual nobody reads the article.
This is related to selling and distribution.
Nobody has received jail time in the UK for using one, and nobody will.
Although they are kind of shit anyway. Set up your own personal server.
“This is a crime that diverts funds away from the entertainment industries, money that supports thousands of technical and support staff.” Sure sure. Which is why pay for those people have been largely stagnant but the paychecks for the top players are getting fatter and fatter. Cut the bullshit.
Some fuckstick broke into my car back in October. Middle of the day, parked outside my house. Brazen as you like. Managed to somehow get in and steal sunglasses and the like but fortunately couldn’t steal the car itself.
Called the police, nothing they could do. They wanted ME to contact all the neighbours and collect any available ring doorbell footage etc and send it to them.
So fuck them! If fire stick raids are more important than theft and burglary etc something has gone very wrong.
If you read the article you’ll see that no users have actually been investigated, arrested, or fined. It’s distributors that have been target.
Absolutely appalling headline.
How are they even getting warrants to raid people’s homes?
You wouldn’t steal a car…
https://youtu.be/ALZZx1xmAzg?si=o3SS9mhhRFm7j33e
Just a lesson for all: there’s no need to use a firestick dodgy or otherwise. A few internet links gives you everything you need for free. No middle man or technical set up or payment required. Those dodgy firestick people were selling you something that they got for free that is literally one click away.
Do if I have a fire stick , how will they know it’s dodgy?
Absolutely zero chance they have the time, resource or personnel to go to the homes of the average person just using these devices
The major suppliers maybe, but these stories have been coming out every 6 months for years now
Also they love to drive the “you’re funding major criminals and nefarious activities” narrative when the few people I know who have distributed streaming apps before are just a few tech savvy nerds from work
In Liverpool…who’d have thought it.
Seriously they put this article up every few weeks, wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a paid for ad by the premier league or other content providers to scare people into subscribing.
Logically, the article is saying police raided peoples houses to find dodgy fire sticks….if they meant they identified a supplier who was selling them online then it’s more believable.
BBC used to run adverts scaring people into paying for a tv licence and their special vans can detect you…sounds familiar? (Later proven false and didn’t exist)
I’m not advocating for illegal streaming nor do I think the current fragmentation of content is affordable and sustainable especially in this financial climate…it’s almost like piracy died when content was affordable and easy to access.
>Jonathan Edge, aged 29 at the time, from Anfield Road in Liverpool, was handed a 40-month custodial sentence for distributing Firestick devices
Fun fact, the average sentence given for sexual assault in the UK is 36-48 months. The average for GBH is 24-36. Across violent crimes as a whole it’s about 20–22.
Interesting that the courts consider dodgy fire sticks as much more serious than violent crime, and about a serious sexual assault
“Individuals caught illegally streaming face penalties reaching thousands of pounds, alongside the possibility of imprisonment for up to 12 months.”
Utter bollocks. No individuals are getting fined or being put in prison for streaming. Copyright infringement is a civil matter in the UK.
People that sell devices enabled to access pirated content are being targeted, not individuals who bought a dodgy Fire stick from a bloke down the pub.