DODGY Amazon fire stick users have been warned that their IP addresses could be revealed as part of a new ruling.
A judge in Spain has signed a warrant that would allow for illegal streamers to be identified – and footie fans should be especially wary.
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According to local media, a commercial court in Barcelona has passed the new ruling in order to take legal action against individuals who have been pirating football.
The ruling essentially means that internet service providers will be legally obliged to send the IP address of illegal streamers to La Liga – the Spanish football league.
This comes as part of a major clamp down on illegal streamers – previously only public establishments could be prosecuted for illegally streaming sports.
The UK is also cracking down on people who have been using “dodgy” Amazon Fire Sticks to stream sports.
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Barrister Lynette Calder has warned Brits face serious consequences if they jailbreak a Fire Stick, saying that a magistrate could issue you with an unlimited fine.
More serious cases of Brits owning a jailbroken fire stick could leave you with a prison sentence of up to 12 months.
She added: “For more serious and organised offending that went to the crown Court you are talking a maximum of up to 10 years in prison if the charge is under section 7 or 5 years for section 6 and 11.
“Why take the risk? If you can’t afford the streaming service for Premier League then why not find yourself a pub that can.”
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In October, a Premiere League streaming “mastermind” was jailed for two-and-a-half years for selling illegal Fire Sticks to a reported 30,000 subscribers.
Steven Mills, 58, from Shrewsbury, Shropshire, netted more than £1m over five years through the operation, a court heard.
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The police attitude towards dodgy Fire Stick users has only intensified in 2024 – with raids being carried out more frequently.
Just last week, one person was arrested and 11 others were interrogated when police swarmed areas all across the UK.
Anyone who uses modified Amazon Fire Sticks to illegally stream content like Premier League football have been seriously warned.
Fire Sticks offer users instant access to TV shows from a range of paid streaming apps, such as Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+.
However, people commonly obtain versions with unofficial apps side-loaded onto them that provide free or cheap access to premium channels.
A spokesperson for FACT, the UK digital forensics company, has said that the country is cracking down on digital piracy.
He said: “By implementing these measures, a strong message has been conveyed: piracy is a criminal act that is treated with the utmost seriousness and decisive action will be taken against suppliers of illicit services regardless of their size or scale.
“We remain vigilant in monitoring platforms, including modified fire sticks that promote and distribute illegal streams, taking decisive action against those selling illegal access to premium TV content.
“FACT and its partners are determined to disrupt these criminal operations and non-compliance will lead to further law enforcement action.”
All 12 of the people the police spoke to were issued warnings – meaning that they all have a criminal record now.
If they fail to follow the rules set out in the warning, they may end up in court.
It was recently revealed around 19 per cent of people illegally streamed content over a three-month period.
Police raided homes in January and made two arrests after finding illegal Fire TV devices being sold with full unauthorised access to premium Sky packages.
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And an investigation led the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) to discover a Telegram channel selling the illegal Fire Sticks – earning those involved more than £800,000.
Detective Inspector Steve Payne, from ERSOU’s Regional Organised Crime Unit, worries that this money will be used to fund other crimes.
