FACT warns users of illegal streaming after police investigation

People using "loaded" or "jailbroken" Firesticks, Android TV boxes or Kodi-based streaming setups in the UK are being warned that their viewing habits may expose them to legal action.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) says it has issued more than 1,000 warning letters following a police-backed investigation.

The move signals a shift in enforcement focus, with legal pressure extending beyond the providers running illegal services to the viewers and households using them.

Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock.com

IPTV investigation turns to viewers

Following a police-backed investigation, more than 1,000 people in the UK have been warned to immediately stop using illegal TV streaming services or risk prosecution.

FACT said the warnings followed earlier law enforcement action against an illegal IPTV operation, during which customer data linked to the service was seized.

That data was then used to contact viewers directly, with warnings sent by email and text message - a shift in tone from previous enforcement efforts that largely focused on the people selling access to unauthorised streams.

FACT published details of the campaign on 23 December 2025, describing it as part of ongoing enforcement activity rather than a one-off action.

In its statement, FACT said the campaign is intended to make clear that end users of illegal streaming services are breaking the law and may face prosecution if they continue.

FACT chairman Kieron Sharp said, "This campaign makes it clear that end users of illegal streaming services are breaking the law. The risks are real, from potential criminal liability to exposure to scams, viruses, and harmful content. We urge people to protect themselves and their families by only using legitimate providers."

Inside illegal IPTV - content, convenience, and risk

The warnings relate to unauthorised IPTV services typically accessed through modified streaming devices, including "loaded" or "jailbroken" Fire TV sticks, Android TV boxes and Kodi-based setups.

In practice, these services promise simplicity: a single app offering live TV channels, films, box sets and premium sports coverage - including content normally carried by broadcasters such as Sky Sports and TNT Sports - without the cost or friction of multiple subscriptions.

Many of these devices run Android-based operating systems, which allow apps to be installed from outside official app stores through a process known as sideloading. That openness is what makes unauthorised IPTV apps possible, but it also removes many of the safeguards users take for granted.

Apps installed this way are not subject to the same security checks, updates or oversight as those distributed through official platforms, increasing exposure to malware, scams and identity theft.

FACT has also warned that end users are not anonymous, and said viewers who access illegal streaming services may be liable for criminal offences, including under Section 11 of the Fraud Act 2006.

Alongside the legal position, there is evidence of wider practical harm for users.

BeStreamWise, which carried out a survey of more than 2,000 UK respondents in November 2025, found that 39% of people who had accessed illegally streamed content in the previous 12 months reported suffering financial losses after being targeted by criminals, with an average loss of £1,680.

Taken together, the warnings and the evidence of harm show that illegal IPTV is not just a licensing issue, but one that carries real legal, financial and security risks - and responsibility for using those services ultimately rests with the viewer.

Moving down the chain

This is not the first time UK authorities and rights holders have acted against illegal IPTV, but the emphasis has historically been on suppliers rather than end use.

Previous enforcement efforts have focused on raids, arrests and prosecutions of people selling or running unauthorised streaming services, often accompanied by warnings to retailers and installers supplying modified devices.

What's different here is the visibility of the message. By contacting users directly, the warning campaign moves enforcement pressure further down the chain, from operators to the people sustaining demand.

That approach has precedent. FACT has previously highlighted cases where enforcement extended beyond suppliers, including the prosecution of Jonathan Edge, whose personal use of an unauthorised service was treated as a separate offence alongside charges for operating it.

The shift reflects a long-running problem for broadcasters and enforcement bodies. Services are routinely taken offline, but are quickly replaced, often under new names and using the same customer base.

Targeting operators alone has struggled to reduce overall usage, particularly where access can be re-established quickly through new apps or resellers.

There is also growing pressure from broadcasters and rights holders, especially in live sport, to demonstrate that enforcement has consequences beyond temporary service disruption.

That pressure is also shaping platform design. Streaming hardware makers have increasingly tightened control over how apps are installed, following sustained lobbying from broadcasters and rights holders such as Sky to curb unauthorised streaming.

Newer devices, including some Amazon hardware now built on Vega OS, restrict sideloading and tie app installation more closely to authorised stores, narrowing the scope for modified IPTV setups.

For consumers, the signal is clearer than in the past. Illegal IPTV is no longer being treated as a low-visibility grey area, but as activity where accountability is becoming harder to avoid.