Amazon Removes Encryption From Fire Tablets

[Initech]

While Apple is in the public’s attention right now for fighting against the U.S. government to keep its devices encrypted, Amazon seems to have gone the opposite direction and removed the local storage encryption feature from all of its devices, including the Kindle e-readers, Fire Phone, Fire Tablets, and Fire TV devices.

Amazon’s devices have supported encryption for a while, but starting with Fire OS 5, encryption is not even an option anymore. Therefore, if Amazon devices customers have the encryption enabled when they receive the Fire OS 5 update, it won’t allow the installation to go through until users remove the encryption from their devices. You will instead be greeted with this message:

“Your device has encrypted data. However, device encryption is no longer supported in Fire OS 5. Follow the steps outlined below to save your data.”

This comes at a time when Apple is engaged in multiple lawsuits throughout the country to have the right to use strong encryption and security for the benefit of its users and the right not have to compromise everyone’s security at the behest of the government.

On one of its customer service pages, Amazon is still telling its customers how to enable encryption on their devices. The information is now obviously obsolete, but it shows that not too long ago, the company was indeed encouraging its customers to enable encryption to protect the data on their devices.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amazon-removes-encryption-fire-devices,31325.html#react31325

Yup - while Apple is fighting to keep encryption on its' devices, Amazon simply doesn't give a shit. Way to alienate your customers there.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Never say Amazon isn't fast on their feet...

heard on the radio this AM thay changed back to encryption and a quick search showed it's all over the nooze.

But, I trust the bastids about half as far as I can throw them, so there's no way they don't put a back door in if asked.

[Eugene]

2. They changed their minds 2 days later. They say they will put it back.

Amazon Reverses Course, Encryption Returning for Fire Devices (Bloomberg - March 5, 2016)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-05/amazon-reverses-course-encryption-returning-for-fire-devices

[randome]

4. I heard that encryption is quite the battery-drainer for a device that really doesn't need it.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]