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Amazon recently released a new version of its popular Fire TV Stick with an affordable price tag, intuitive voice commands, and access to 4K Ultra HD feeds from the biggest streaming, catch-up, and FAST TV services around. So far, so normal.
But one change included with this new Fire TV Stick wasn't mentioned on-stage during Amazon's launch event in New York City: this new model makes watching illicit IPTV streams very, very difficult.
Fire TV Sticks, built and distributed by Amazon, are an incredibly popular and affordable way to bring games and streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and ITVX to any television with an HDMI port. The lightweight hardware supports chatty AI assistant Alexa, which can control smart lighting, internet-connected thermostats, Ring video doorbells, and other smart home devices.
However, these low-cost devices have become a popular option with criminals, who "jailbreak" the Fire TV Stick to install apps that aren't sanctioned by Amazon in its own App Store to offer a painless way to watch copyrighted material at a fraction of the cost.
Modified Fire TV Sticks — often referred to as “fully loaded” Firesticks or "dodgy" Firesticks — can be used to access live Premier League streams, the latest Hollywood blockbusters, and exclusive series from HBO, Netflix, and Disney+, to name just a few.
"For developers behind these unverified apps, this move sends a clear message that Amazon is closing loopholes and increasing control. By restricting unauthorised content, Vega OS shifts the focus toward verified, secure streaming and marks an intentional crackdown on illegal services," Lynden Singh, eCommerce Director of Laptop Station. told GB News.
Fire TV Stick 4K Select launched this month at £49.99. It's the first device in Amazon's portfolio to run its new Vega OS operating system
| AMAZON PRESS OFFICESometimes, these illicit streams or on-demand boxsets and blockbusters are available to watch for free, while on other occasions, criminals will charge a small fee via Direct Debit to undercut the legitimate providers. This has proven to be a goldmine for those who are looking to stream shows without paying the subscription costs to all these different platforms.
So, what's different about the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select, which was unveiled during a packed keynote held by Amazon last month? This is the first streaming device to run on the new Vega OS operating system, eliminating the need for Android after more than a decade of using it in its models.
Without Android powering this device, it can't run sideloaded Android apps that have been responsible for fueling illegal IPTV streaming. Illegal IPTV streaming, which is the unauthorised delivery of unwanted content, has been a rising issue in the UK for years. Recently, hundreds of dodgy streaming sites were blocked for everyone in the UK.
So, how does Vega OS make this Fire TV Stick different?
All prior Fire TV Stick models ran Fire OS, which is an operating system based on Android. However, Vega OS uses Linux, which is a completely different system.
The switch has allowed Amazon more control over the operating system, which it says has enabled smoother performance from less powerful chipsets.
"Vega is a new operating system built specifically for our devices. It’s highly responsive with an efficient footprint, enabling fast app launches and smooth navigation. Our new Echo devices also run on Vega," Amazon explains on its developer website.
"We adopted Linux components as our foundation. We built Vega to be scalable across a variety of devices, from small footprint devices, like a Fire TV Stick, to our most advanced devices with on-device AI processing, like our Echo Show."
But the break with previous Fire TV Stick devices means that Vegas OS apps completely different from Android apps, making them incompatible. This means that you can't download any apps powered by Android, and there's no option to download apps outside of Amazon's official store. That means developers must start from scratch, leading to no VPN compatibility at launch.
This is a risk.
Discussing the shake-up, Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight told GB News: "The move towards one unified platform for products makes sense. For now, however, it will prove to be a tedious, cumbersome and fragmented experience. Consumers will need to be wary of which device supports the new VegaOS, as this will dictate which apps are supported. Here lies the most significant headache, as developers, content owners, and media owners need to port their apps over. This takes time and investment.
"Amazon will need to ensure the most sought-after apps are available at launch in each of its markets."
But it's not just the fact that apps on VegaOS are built differently, Amazon has removed the ability to load your own apps — downloaded from outside of its Appstore — onto these new devices. This is similar to the restrictions imposed on iPhone compared with rival handsets powered by Android, for example.
"While Amazon may frame this as a performance and security improvement, Vega OS is clearly intended to facilitate tighter control over its content ecosystem. It protects licensing deals with major studios and limits legal liability from piracy. This reflects big tech’s broader intent to eliminate open-source-like flexibility when their commercial IP is at stake," Anar Israfilov, Founder of Cyberoon Enterprise Corporation, told GB News.
From the outside, the version of FireOS that runs on the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select looks identical to previous versions, but under the bonnet, it's running on an entirely new code
| AMAZON PRESS OFFICE | GBNLike Apple, the Seattle-based company believes this creates a more secure experience for viewers, something it has prioritised with the latest release. It's worth noting that registered developers will still be able to sideload for testing purposes.
Since every app that's available in the Amazon Appstore has been verified and checked by the US online superstore, it's confident that Fire TV Stick 4K Select owners won't be exposed to malware or other nasties — a risk when allowing device owners to freely download software from any source.
With no functionality for everyday users to download software from outside of Amazon's own digital storefront, and no way the US company will allow the types of illicit streaming services used on 'dodgy Firesticks' sold online... is this the end of Fire TV Sticks being associated with these types of streaming operations?
"Using illegally modified apps isn’t just a copyright problem — it’s a security concern," Mr Israfilov said. "Just plugging these sticks into your home network puts you at risk of credential theft and malware infection."
These apps often contain malware that can steal personal or financial data, spy on users, or damage devices. They may compromise your home network, expose you to scams, or result in identity theft.
With the changes from Amazon, cybersecurity expert James Bore told Metro: "There is no way this is actually going to stop illegal streaming. People are just going to switch to non-Amazon devices, as this will only prevent those specific devices from being used for illegal streaming."
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The new Fire TV Stick 4K Select is good news for broadcasters and streaming channels. At the Financial Times Business of Football summit earlier this year, Sky Chief Operating Officer, Nick Herm, said, "If you speak to friends and colleagues, you watch football, people will know that you can get jail-broken Fire Sticks, and you can access pirated services on Fire Sticks."
Sky TV has the rights to hundreds of Premier League and English Football League games.
They also have exclusive deals with a number of hit US shows from HBO, including House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, Succession, Euphoria, Mare of Easttown, The Wire, and Game of Thrones. It also commissions a huge number of its own shows, like the award-winning comedy Brassic, I Hate Suzie, and Chernobyl.
Without the ability to illegally stream these shows, streaming services like Sky won't have viewers dodging paid subscription fees.