Facebook Bans the Sale of All Kodi Boxes (torrentfreak.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Facebook previously banned the sale of fully-loaded pirate streaming devices, as did Amazon and eBay, but the social network appears to have expanded this to all Kodi-powered hardware now. This is made clear in the prohibited content section of the company's commerce policies, as shown below. Facebook states that users are no longer allowed to promote "the sale or use of streaming devices with KODI installed." In addition, jailbroken or loaded devices are also banned from the platform. The issue was first noticed by CordCuttersNews which notes that sellers who violate the policy may have their Facebook accounts banned. Interestingly, Facebook will still permit the sale of "add-on equipment for KODI devices," including keyboards and remotes. However, selling any devices with the software itself is no longer allowed.

Comments

I guess they will ban VCRs next?

[kalpol]

If they ban Kodi they'd better start banning Raspberry Pis, Mythboxes, HDHomerun tuners, and VCRs.

Re:I guess they will ban VCRs next?

[PPH]

And Windows, XBox, ....

Re: I guess they will ban VCRs next?

[l0n3s0m3phr34k]

TPM and UEFI also have other, normal security uses too; such as preventing bootloaders, data-at-rest encryption, hashed credential encryption, etc. Per DoD secure technical implementation guides, one is not allowed to operate any domain-joined Win10 or Server 2016 systems without both TPM and UEFI enabled.

Great writeup

[Kohath]

One problem with it: What are KODI devices?

Re:Great writeup

[Mr D from 63]

One problem with it: What are KODI devices?

The list is short, computers, tablets, phones, just about anything that can run windows, Android, Linux, IOS or OS X, with KODI installed. Windows Phones are OK to sell.

Re:Great writeup

[Voyager529]

Here's the real-world answer:

Many different streaming appliances - but most commonly Amazon Fire Sticks - can be jailbroken to load additional software onto them. Kodi is the most common of the programs that are added. The reason for this is not because of Kodi itself, but because the third party repositories that allow pirated movie streams and other similar media to be consumed with relative ease, and obviously without paying for it or even the annoyance of picking out which streaming app has what, and so forth.

Less-tech-savvy folks tend to prefer these devices over traditional torrent downloads because ISPs have been stepping up on the *AA letters when public trackers are used. Unlike Plex or other DLNA servers they don't require a local server to be implemented, and the ability to buy a pre-configured device means that they don't even have to watch a Youtube tutorial to do it themselves.

Despite the fact that Kodi has done everything short of disallowing third party add-ons and repo addresses to dissuade people from utilizing pirated streams, their OSS software has been heavily circulated in this way, and since "Kodi" is the most prominently branded part of the process, it became the means by which non-Slashdot people identify "watching still-in-theaters movies, at home, for free".

And no, I don't own one...but at least five friends have asked me to jailbreak their Amazon Fire Sticks or Chromecasts for the purpose.

First they came for the 3D gun files...

[SuperKendall]

...and you cheered; now reap your bitter reward of hate.

Not that Facebook is required to do anything. But many Facebook users were rewarding them for censorship, so should not be anything but surprised when the reward for your support is increased censorship that will eventually encompass all content that is not Care Bears.

maybe they should ban comuters too

[renegade600]

computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles all can stream illegal material.

come to think of it, lets ban facebook, people use it to share kiddy porn, share links to illegal material, also facebook illegally collect data from non-users who have no way to tell them to stop like the members do. they also share personal data collected...

The reality is, kodi is legit device that streams legal content. If you decided to ban everything that can be used for illegal activity, then there will be nothing left but to twiddle our fingers - as long as that is what we are using our fingers for.

This changes everything

[scourfish]

I know that when I want to purchase something, I don't think Amazon or Ebay or Craigslist. I think Facebook, the de-facto powerhouse of e-commerce. Who will take up the reigns in light of this gaping loss of places to buy streaming devices?

Easily fixed.

[Locke2005]

Rename the software to KODJ, and sale of hardware with it installed is allowed by Facebook, then? How often do we need to rename the software? (I work for a medical device manufacturer. Our project was just renamed. As near as I can tell, the only reason for renaming the project is that the FCC can only audit us on the project we are currently working on, not previous projects, so we periodically rename projects to minimize audit exposure. Nothing has changed in the project to warrant a name change!)

Re:Need to go further!

[Locke2005]

While we're at it, let's close the "analog hole" that is making defeat of copyright protection possible!

I liked Facebook better...

[GrahamJ]

...when it was just a way for Zuck to get off on yearbook photos. Can we go back to breastfeeding pix, pirating boxes and Putin pupeteering stupid Americans?

Facebook is a store, now?

[jtara]

I guess I missed something while I was never on Facebook...

Facebook is a store now?

Facebook has a merchant platform?

Facebook is banning promotion of devices with Kodi pre-installed by users/company presences? (Or whatever they call them...)

Did Trump just make Zuckerberg Secretary of Commerce?

So, I guess it's a trend to ban pre-installation of open-source software, now?

Sure, today is Kodi. Tomorrow it's cURL...

Re:Facebook is a store, now?

[thegarbz]

Yes, Yes, Yes, No, No, Unlikley.

And you must really have missed it because we've talked about the Facebook marketplace a few times on Slashdot.

The Slippery Slope in Action

[Jarwulf]

First they said they'd never censor. Then its just for cp. Then its just for that and terrorism. Then its just for all that and neonazis. Then its only all the former and the altright which are just like neonazis trust us. then its just for all that and conspiracy theories, then 'fake and misleading news'. Now its copyright infringement... But trust them, they'll just censor this little thing and no more.

Re:Need to go further!

[ArchieBunker]

Why do you think they big companies are getting rid of headphone jacks? Perfect way to implement a DRM flag.