Facebook Bans the Sale of All Kodi Boxes (torrentfreak.com) 121
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.
I guess they will ban VCRs next? (Score:5, Insightful)
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And Windows, XBox, ....
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Don't remind them. I'm sure what you're talking about is on the 2025-2030 roadmap.
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LOL they should also be banning Amazon Fire sticks since you can easily put Kodi on them.
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Kodi as an open-source media platform
It's open-source, therefore it can be forked.
And according to Kodi, forks must [kodi.wiki] be re-branded.
The XBMC Foundation requires that all forks of Kodi/XBMC must be rebranded, unless otherwise granted permission from the XBMC Foundation. In other words, they cannot be called Kodi or XBMC, and may not include the Kodi or XBMC logos, graphics, or other trademarks.
So let Facebook ban Kodi. Then sit back and watch as they play whack-a-mole with the many compulsorily re-branded variations of the software.
Wonderful. (Score:2)
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From the list...
(emphasis added). So it is against this policy to even describe how to do it. What this will do is kill the developers who use FB most notably the build developers.
Need to go further! (Score:1)
They should ban every device that can have Kodi installed!
While they're at it, they need to ban any device that can be used to view child pornography!...including paper!
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Start the line of people on the left, I'll get the eye stabbing knitting needles ready, LETS DO THIS!
Re:Need to go further! (Score:5, Insightful)
Why do you think they big companies are getting rid of headphone jacks? Perfect way to implement a DRM flag.
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Too bad your conspiracy theory has a dongle-sized hole in it. Not only that, music hasn't been sold with DRM in years.
The real reason Apple ditched the headphone jack is they want to sell Bluetooth headphones. The reason everyone else ditched it is they're copying Apple (but perhaps overlooked the part about selling Bluetooth headphones).
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We must ban children as well!!
Great writeup (Score:3)
One problem with it: What are KODI devices?
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One problem with it: What are KODI devices?
I'd answer by saying there are more different devices that can run kodi than can access bookface.
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How are stalkbook in a position to control the sale of anything?
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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.
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Kodi (formerly known as XBMC) ...how unimpressed should I be.
XBMC is an annoying interface.
I would assume Kodi has made it better.
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It's worse.
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XBox Media Centers.
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XBox Media Centers.
Damm, I'm in trouble. I spent a couple of hours getting my Media Center Windows 7 machine working again after switching cable providers this weekend. I use old Xbox 360's as set top boxes and I get to watch TV anyplace in the house w/o paying the cable company for their set-top boxes at $12 each/month.
Sarc off
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It really was the best thing since ReplayTV went out of business. TiVo is OK, but it's not MC. Only downside I can see to your method is that an X360 is a lot louder than a TiVo Mini.
Re:Great writeup (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
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Amazon Fire Sticks - can be jailbroken to load additional software onto them.
It's called "sideloading" and it's an option in settings. This is changing the wallpaper on your phone level shit.
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Cheap little boxes that run Android and plug into your TV. Nobody here will admit it but they are primarily used to stream pirated content.
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Cheap little boxes that run Android
Why is it they are all sold running Android, when KODI works better under a more minimal Linux?
It is very easy to install LibreElec on a supported KODI box, and get a number of advantages.
https://libreelec.tv/ [libreelec.tv]
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How is that any friendlier than one which boots straight into Kodi?
Android has the advantage of Netflix, but it is low-res (SD) and made for a touchscreen interface.
First they came for the 3D gun files... (Score:3, Insightful)
...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.
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I am pointing out a greater truth (Score:2)
It's OK to try to stop things you consider bad. Really. It is.
It is. I am just saying that later on you will also be enabling stopping things you didn't consider bad.
You don't consider these things tied but in all systems showing a path to stopping something makes it easier for other people to follow the same path for different subjects. This is the wisdom that I share, and that you cannot see - despite how plain and obvious this simple truth is.
There is another buried truth you cannot see here, which is
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maybe they should ban comuters too (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
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If you have points - consider modding this up, please.
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Yes, everyone should work from home.
Facebook goes Maoist (Score:2)
Censorship of double-plus ungood political viewpoints and now sales restrictions imposed by MAFIAA. Facebook, you're headed for obscurity now.
This changes everything (Score:5, Funny)
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Dang - I've been getting this wrong too. For beheading videos, I've been going to ebay.
Honestly, FB's 'standards' are somewhat baffling sometimes.
Easily fixed. (Score:4, Interesting)
Good (Score:2)
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Let it be a bit harder for the technically inept to pirate things. The masses bring too much negative attention to pirating services.
Except kodi isn't a pirating service, it's a video player.
Just like Windows Media Player or your Chrome Cast dongle.
If you are the person instructing any of those players to play pirated content, that is 100% on your head for doing it, not the video player.
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Let's be real here. How many people buy kodi boxes to watch legal streams?
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Let's be real here. How many people buy kodi boxes to watch legal streams?
The same number of people that buy windows to run legal software. Or that buy an xbox/playstation to play legal games. Or that buy cable to watch legal pay per view. Or buy a chrome cast to watch purchased movies or free youtube videos.
As one who has used kodi from when it was called xbox media center and actually ran on the xbox, I can honestly say I have never once watched an illegal stream, be it with kodi or any other video player or even a web browser.
On the other hand I never have and never would b
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I'm currently using 3 RPi's running OpenElec to stream movies via CIFS from one of them as master. Works great. I never looked at how to use them to connect to torrents (d/l speed is horrible with my ATT service). But, after reading this, maybe I need to go watch some tutorials.
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I'd wager that a really high percentage of people who buy those devices do it to stream illegal contents (and *paying* for those subscriptions). And it really does give KODI a bad name.
Facebook is an eCommerce site? (Score:2)
That's a new one. I never knew Facebook was like eBay and Amazon.
They aren't doing a very good job marketing this capability.
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That's a new one. I never knew Facebook was like eBay and Amazon.
It isn't. They don't get a percentage of sales, just ad impressions.
They aren't doing a very good job marketing this capability.
It's not very capable, either. Maybe they're waiting until it doesn't suck.
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According to the missus.
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That's an advantage, but you get the same advantage from craigslist, which is a much less crap site than facebook. It's not perfect (for example, if titles are long then you can't see the button to hide postings on the thumbnail view) but it's much less annoying. I'm super-tired of things jumping around on the facebook page while I'm trying to click on them, resulting in all kinds of unwanted page loads... which is no doubt why they do it. I don't let the pages load long enough to load any ads which might m
I liked Facebook better... (Score:3)
...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?
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...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?
Why no, we can't.
If FB can do the "oh no, OMG Putin, OMG, "fake news!"" stuff, they can do then this too. FB knows what's best, after all.
"But they'll never re-educate me!! I'm a loyal party member!"
Ah, that's not how this works, comrade ...
Facebook is a store, now? (Score:5, Interesting)
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...
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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.
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Getting banned is actually the reward mechanism (Score:1)
Will they finally stop sending spam after banning me, too? Seems like an excellent reason to list KODI boxes on Facebook.
The Slippery Slope in Action (Score:4, Insightful)
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First they said they'd never censor.
[Citation required]
So now we call it KÜDI (Score:1)
I have this sudden urge to install Kodi (Score:2)
Why should I care? (Score:2)
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device without software (Score:2)
then just sell the device without software.
people are free to put any OS they want on it, there are multiple images available online.
or
sell it with a bare bones linux on it.
oh, look, somebody made a script available that will install kodi on it.
ofcourse i think what facebook did here is bellow anything.
kodi is awesome, sure it is used to play pirated material, but facebook itself contains pirated material, maybe facebook should ban facebook from facebook.
Won't Stop...Can't Stop (Score:1)
Anti-competitive (Score:2)
Poor Kodi (Score:2)
Sadly, if Team Kodi wants to deal with this, the only way I see them being able to do it is by changing their plug-in system so that only signed plug-ins can be installed and run. That and lawsuits, lots of lawsuits. But those cost lots of money.
Overreaction (Score:2)