Amazon removes encryption support from Fire OS – update

Amazon is removing full disk encryption support from its Android-based Fire OS. Users who have encrypted data on their Kindle device and want to upgrade to Fire OS 5 must first perform a factory reset to remove encryption.

Amazon made the change without any publicity, complain users, and it is not known why encryption support has been discontinued. For example, users of a Fire HD or Fire HDX tablet with Fire OS 4 who want to upgrade and use encryption will be warned that encryption support has been discontinued with Fire OS 5 and that they should create a backup. After that, users must perform a factory reset to remove encryption and update to Fire OS 5.

Fire OS is based on Android 5.0, which does support encryption by default. Amazon’s move comes at a time when there is a lot of discussion about the encryption of user data on devices. In certain cases, intelligence services still want to access that data, but strong encryption makes this difficult. Amazon is one of the tech companies backing Apple in its case against the FBI. Apple refuses to develop special firmware that gives the FBI access to the data of an attacker’s iPhone.

Update, Friday, 08.16: Amazon has informed several media outlets, including the Guardian, that the encryption option has been removed from Fire OS 5 because no one was using it. The company regarded encryption as enterprise functionality and removed it from the OS in September last year. Its only now making headlines is probably due to the fact that older Fire tablets are now being given the option to upgrade.