Clampdown on TV 'Dodgy Boxes'

I am just wondering how many of these reporters, experts and even gardaí have dodgy boxes?

Any sign of a link to this report yet?

They are not just an accountancy firm, they are a consultancy that offer things like professional services in areas like cyber security.

Publishing reports on the security impact of cheap IOT equipment is something companies like that do, it helps raise their profile in that area.

As I said the main focus of their report wasn't even about dodgy boxes.

Lots of waffle about this wonderful report. Where is it?

I don't see any of that happening any time soon.

It doesn't happen with TV license evasion as it is, which is a much easier thing to prove.

Hard to see the bad bad rights holders go after individuals in any meaningful way.

It, alone has never worked in the past with similar copyright based infractions.

Dont worry, there will be another Weckler dodgy box scare story just around the corner.

I don't know if there is a report or not and I don't really care either.

I'm just seeing what is reported in the media.

You are the one that keeps asking for it, maybe contact Grant Thornton and ask them.

that’s exactly what I do. I have a TP Link mesh network and it allows you to set up an IOT network that has its own SSID and IP range. Fairly common functionality these days. I have the Android box on that network and nothing else.

The OP wanted to prevent all outbound traffic.

Creating a VLAN for IOT devices is a common practice, particularly since a lot of those devices struggle with 5Ghz.

In theory it should be more secure, but in practice devices you want to keep on a separate Lan may need to talk to IOTs at some stage.

In addition some of those cheap devices can take an alternative OS which would negate anything that might have been done to compromise it, but that would only be something a very few would do.

Who creates the alternative image?

There is large and trusted network of images for STBs, but these are largely for known brands.

I have no experience of flashing cheap generic android boxes, I imagine stability could be an issue if it isn't tailored to specific hardware.

When there is a media piece about dodgy boxes the default position for many dodgy box evangelists here is to attack the messenger.

For example "what does Weckler" know about technology,ball he talks about a Samsung or Apple devices...."

Completely ignoring the fact that Weckler has to deliver his piece to a manily non tech audience and thus has to keep it simple, like talking about major consumer devices etc.

In this case it was "what does a accounting company like Grant Thornton know about cyber security"

I pointed out that Grant Thornton have a whole division selling professional services like cyber security, and, based on their LinkedIn profile, the person quoted in the articles is an expert in the area.

If that's defending Grant Thornton, so be it.

And what is wrong with that ?

Lowkey feels like convos like this show how much the space has matured but also how some patterns never really change. Every cycle brings new narratives, but the core debates around trust, utility, and long-term viability always find their way back into the spotlight.

From what I’ve seen working around Web3 launches and ecosystem storytelling, the projects that keep mindshare locked aren’t always the loudest ones. It’s usually the teams that keep shipping, communicating progress, and reinforcing their positioning even when market attention drifts elsewhere.

Hype can onboard users fast, but sustained narrative presence is what keeps communities from fading once volatility kicks in again.

Curious how you all see sentiment evolving from here. Do you think the next wave will be driven more by real adoption metrics or just another liquidity-fueled narrative rotation?