You might think they are a great way of accessing your favourite shows.
But tests have revealed the “overwhelming majority” of imported Kodi boxes are DANGEROUS.
Every box inspected failed standard safety tests, officials have warned.
And the public has been told that they pose “substantial fire and electrical risks” to consumers.
“The fact that so many illegal streaming devices have all failed to meet UK safety standards is shocking,” said Kieron Sharp.
He’s the director general of FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) which, along with Electrical Safety First, conducted the tests.
“Alongside the risks of exposing your home network to damaging malware and your children to inappropriate content, it should now be clear that the dangers these illegal devices pose far outweigh any benefit of buying them,” he added.
Kodi - or Android - boxes are expected to be a popular Christmas present this year.
Hundreds of thousands of them were thought to have been bought as gifts last year.
Steve Curtler, product safety manager at Electrical Safety First said, “This year consumers thinking about buying an illegal streaming device for Christmas need to know that by plugging them into their TV they could be potentially be putting themselves, their home and their family at risk.
“We urge anyone with one of these devices to unplug it and stop using it immediately.
“Not only are these devices breaking the law, but they could be putting your loved ones at risk.”
Over one million boxes are estimated to have been sold in the UK in the last two years.
None of the illicit streaming devices that were tested had been supplied, designed or manufactured in accordance with the principal elements of the safety objectives given in Schedule 1 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1. In June, the EU issued a recall notice for the OTT TV Box 4K, a Chinese-made ‘Kodi box’ due to a serious risk of electric shock, calling for owners of the box to stop using it immediately.
The devices in question had faulty power supply units which didn’t comply with Europe’s Low Voltage Directive meaning users were at risk from touching live components.
