Crime & Safety
Amazon Fire TV Stick users report getting on-screen warning
Late last year, the tech giant began blocking apps identified as helping users gain illegal access to pirated content.
At the time, an Amazon spokesperson said: “Piracy is illegal, and we’ve always worked to block it from our Appstore.
“Through an expanded program led by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global coalition fighting digital piracy, we’ll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our Appstore.
“This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses, and fraud.”
Initially, customers received notifications about any apps identified as facilitating piracy and were given the option to uninstall.
Now these apps are being blocked entirely, making them impossible to download/install.
Fire Stick users getting on-screen warning as fears grow of more blocked apps
A message has now begun appearing on select Fire TV Sticks, which has users concerned that all sideloaded apps (those from sources outside the official Appstore) have been blocked.
The message, according to AFTVnews, reads: “Unauthorized APK installation detected. Please do not install performance benchmark APKs without permission from deviceprot@amazon.com.”
AFTVnews added: “There has been a new surge of this happening over the last couple of weeks.
“The recent uptick in this issue seems to specifically be on new Fire TV Smart TVs from TCL, but it can affect any Fire TV model.”
The tech experts explain that this message is an error and was never meant for regular Fire TV Stick users.
It was designed for Amazon’s internal testers to stop them from accidentally leaking details about unreleased Fire TV devices through benchmarking apps.
So why are regular users now seeing this message? There are two reasons:
- They bought a used Fire TV that was previously used for internal Amazon testing.
- Their new Fire TV was mistakenly flagged as an internal testing unit due to a registration or software error.
‘Unauthorized APK Installation Detected’ message blocks all sideloading on Fire TVs, but it’s not what you think https://t.co/YFOk3UTLEF
— AFTVnews (@AFTVnews) April 9, 2026
What to do if you get “unauthorized APK installation” message
Unfortunately for users, there is no way to fix the issue yourself – even a factory reset won’t work.
If you are seeing the “unauthorized APK installation” message, AFTVnews recommends contacting Amazon customer support (be sure to have your full device serial number and the message).
The tech experts continue: “You should keep the device powered on and connected to the internet.
“Try sideloading something every few days to see if the message has gone away.”
Crackdown on ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks intensifies
The ongoing crackdown on the use of ‘dodgy’ Fire Sticks in the UK continues to intensify.
Illegal TV Fire Sticks and/or ‘dodgy boxes’ are streaming devices that have third-party software installed in them, allowing users to watch premium content from providers such as TNT Sport, Sky, Disney+ and Netflix for free.
The use of these devices is a “serious crime”, and police forces across the UK and Ireland, as well as organisations including Crimestoppers and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), have been attempting to stamp them out.
People who access illegal TV streaming services are potentially liable to prosecution for criminal offences, including under Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006.
FACT is continually intensifying enforcement targeting users of illegal streaming devices/services.
Thousands of individuals across the UK were contacted recently and warned to stop using illegal IPTV services immediately or risk criminal prosecution.
This action followed joint investigations with police that uncovered details of customers who had purchased access to so-called “loaded” Fire Sticks, Android, or Kodi devices.
While FACT’s latest campaign to disrupt illegal streaming networks and protect consumers from the risks associated with illicit online content targeted eight areas across the UK:
- London
- South West
- North West
- North East
- Scotland
- Wales
- Yorkshire and Humber
- West Midlands
The likes of Sky and Amazon are also working on ways to prevent the use of ‘dodgy’ Fire TV Sticks in the UK.
The dangers of using illegal streaming devices
“Illegal streaming services are increasingly operated by sophisticated criminal networks, often involved in other types of crime,” BeSteamWise explained.
Meaning those who use illegal streaming devices run the risk of “letting criminals in”, resulting in:
- Viruses and malware
- ID theft, scams, and fraud
- Inappropriate content
Around 39% of illegal streamers in the UK have suffered financial losses due to cybercrime linked to piracy, according to BeStreamWise.
The average amount stolen through illegal streaming is £1,680, while one in ten have lost more than £5,000.
What is the penalty if caught with a ‘dodgy’ Fire TV Stick?
Not only can the use of illegal streaming devices leave users open to ID theft, fraud, and viruses, but it can also result in fines and jail time.
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Those caught using or selling a ‘dodgy’ fire stick/box and streaming premium content without paying are in breach of Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006.
It says a person will be in breach if they obtain services “without any payment having been made for or in respect of them or without payment having been made in full”.
A person found guilty of this kind of offence could be fined or face a jail sentence of up to five years.
Have you received an “unauthorized APK installation” message on your Amazon Fire TV Stick? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.
Daniel Kaveh, 24, Justin Hughes, 25 and Kailan Chadbone, 20, were each sentenced to years in jail at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, May 29 for supplying and dealing drugs on the streets of Oxford.
Kaveh, of Lambourn Road in Oxford, and Hughes, of Woodperry Road, played ‘significant’ roles in an ‘open line’ class A drugs operation in Blackbird Leys between November 2024 and last November, the court heard.
READ MORE: Woman, 28, ‘beat up’ boy, 14, outside BP petrol station
Kaveh was previously in court in 2021 after pulling out a ‘Rambo’ knife in a stabbing incident in Lambourn Road in Rose Hill in November 2020 which resulted in a 12 month jail sentence suspended for two years.
Between them, they supplied around 4.6kg of crack cocaine and heroin to the drugs line.
Police raids on Hughes’ home also found 232g powder cocaine and 2.338kg of cannabis, for which he was sentenced for possession with intent to supply, along with a quantity of cash, drugs paraphernalia and weapons.
Raids on Kaveh’s property found similar equipment and drugs like heroin and diamorphine, with a total street value of more than £100,000.
It was established the two dealers worked for Emman Riasat, who ran his own drug line in Oxford and wholesale supplied drugs to the line operating out of Blackbird Leys.
Hughes received a jail sentence of six years and nine months for two counts of class A drug supply and two counts of possession, while Kaveh was jailed for seven years and six months for two counts of class A drug supply.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire canal footpath closed due to fallen tree
Also working for Riasat was Chadbone, of Bernwood Road, who worked lower down in the operation as a drugs runner.
He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and diamorphine between August 1 and November 19, 2025, committed while he was serving a suspended sentence for affray.
Chadbone received a total of 45 months in jail for two counts of drug supply and the breach of a previous suspended sentence.
‘Sundays in the Park’ took place in Garth Park on May 31, thanks to a collaboration between Bicester Town Council and Bicester Live.
Visitors enjoyed performances from Ukesnaile, Bicester Concert Band, and Malish, offering a variety of covers from pop to garage.
Food was provided by Garth Park Kitchen, with options like British bockwurst, halloumi buns, and wood-fired cheeseburgers, while others brought their own picnics to enjoy in the sunshine.
The council’s events team said: “We can’t wait to welcome you all for an afternoon of live music, great food, and community fun in the beautiful surroundings of Garth Park.”
The next ‘Sundays in the Park’ event will be held on June 14, featuring Hook Norton Brass Band and local soloists, starting at 12.30pm.
In a Facebook post on ‘Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire’, the principal leader of the group asked campaigners to join the demonstration for ‘justice for Henry Nowak’.
The protest follows days of demonstration outside the police station following the murder of University of Southampton student Henry Nowak.
Protesters hurled bins, chairs and bricks at police as hundreds gathered outside the station.
READ MORE: Nationalist group to protest after murder of student
Activist Tommy Robinson and former actor Laurence Fox were among those who spoke to the crowd.
Speaking to the crowd Robinson said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race.
“A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
Demonstrators were heard chanting “Henry, Henry” as large group moved across town and threw object at police in riot gear.
The controversy surrounding the murder of Mr Nowak centres on the initial police response after the 18-year-old student was stabbed in Southampton in December 2025.
A trial heard that officers arriving at the scene were allegedly misled by the killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, who claimed he had been the victim of a racist assault.
Police initially placed Mr Nowak in handcuffs.
In camera footage Nowak can be heard telling officers that he had been stabbed, with an officer on the scene replying “don’t think you have mate”.
Hampshire police’s Deputy Chief Constable Robert France said that within three minutes of interacting with Nowak they were starting to perform CPR.
He added that: “This is a complete tragedy and I am sorry that they couldn’t save Henry that night and I’m sorry that Henry was handcuffed and arrested as he lost consciousness.”
In a statement to the press outside Southampton Crown Court after Digwa was sentenced, Mark Nowak, Henry’s father, said: “We are calling on the Government to treat knife crime as the national emergency that it is.
“Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. He lost consciousness before anyone believed him.”
A group of Oxford ‘patriots’ are due to protest in Oxford this week as well.
Aiden Noble, organiser of the protests, is calling on the public to stand in ‘justice for Henry Nowak’ on Friday, June 5.
The group will gather at 6pm outside Carfax Tower to ‘demand answers, accountability, and justice for Henry Nowak’.
The protests join other demonstrations in Southampton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Blackpool, Liverpool, London, and Gloucester.
Vickrum Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years served on Monday for the murder of 18-year-old Mr Nowak in Southampton.
PM accuses Farage of exploiting Nowak case to sow ‘division’ and denies ‘two-tier policing’ claim
‘Bicester has fought too hard to be ignored’, says MP on EWR
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