Big Crackdown on Illegal Streaming Expands to More Devices Following Fire Stick App Ban

ANOTHER company has said it will be cracking down on unverified apps following Amazon’s recent ban on dodgy Fire TV Stick apps.

Amazon began blocking its users from installing apps outside of its own app store in October last year.

Android users will have to wait 24 hours before installing unverified appsCredit: georgeclerk

Following the Amazon’s decision, Google also announced that it would be rolling out a new android update which will make downloading unverified apps harder.

The tech giant said it will roll out the system upgrade to stop users from installing malware and falling victim to financial .

Developers will now have to verify their identity and pay an £19 ($25) fee to advertise their apps outside of Google Play.

The company announced back in August that it was planning for all apps installed on Android devices to come from “verified developers”.

App builders looking to sell their content on an Android device will need to register their identity with – providing a government-issued ID – and pay an upfront fee.

Google said it will not let its users install any apps by developers who have not been verified.

It aims to reduce the amount of malware, financial fraud, and stolen personal data it sees through users installing apps outside of its official app store.

The new system will begin blocking unverified apps by default in September in , Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.

It will then be rolled out globally, including in the UK, in 2027 at the earliest.

Despite the noble intentions, users and developers have reacted badly, saying that the decision would kill off independent app developers.

A group of 37 organisations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai calling for the company to revert its decision.

After months of pushback from the community, the company softened its system upgrade.

It said it would still allow users to install apps from unverified developers, but they will have to follow a slow process to do so.

From 2027, users will have to confirm that they are not being coached into downloading an unverified app and restart their device.

Once your device is restarted, you will have to wait 24 hours until you can confirm your identity using your fingerprint, face unlock, or PIN.

Once that is sorted, you will be allowed to install unverified apps for seven days or indefinitely.

Google said it has included the 24-hour wait period for the process to address scams.

Phone-based scammers will usually create a sense of urgency for installing dodgy .

By having users restart their device and wait a whole day to install an app makes it more difficult for scammers to persist and gives people more time to think about what they are doing.