Facebook bans all Kodi boxes from site

Social media site Facebook has banned the sale of all streaming devices that use Kodi software. 

While Kodi software is a neutral platform (and legal), almost 70% of Kodi installations are configured for access to unlicensed video content, with over 90 million Americans having a device connected to unlicensed material, according to Canadian company Sandvine.

Promoting the sale or using streaming devices with Kodi installed now falls under Facebook’s prohibited content policy and is banned. Previously, Facebook had outlawed ‘piracy-enabling’ devices.

Jailbroken or loaded devices are also banned. However, the sale of add-on equipment for Kodi devices, such as keyboards and remotes, is allowed.

Website CordCuttersNews first reported on the development on Sunday, August 12. It noted that sellers who violate the policy may have their Facebook accounts banned.

In March, Google implemented a ban, removing ‘Kodi’ from search autocomplete.

A year before that, in April 2017, the Court of Justice of the European Union held that sellers of multimedia players which enable films available illegally on the internet to be viewed for free on TV could constitute copyright infringement.

In response, Kodi stated that it would not police its own software and would maintain its “neutral” policy.