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Amazon quietly removed encryption from its Fire devices

Amazon is one of several companies that’s backing Apple in its fight with the FBI over encryption.

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And yet, Amazon customers are just now noticing that the company dropped encryption from most of its consumer devices back in December.

Fire OS 5, Amazon's latest update to its Fire operating system (OS), removed the ability to encrypt data. Fire OS powers several popular Amazon devices, including Kindle Fire tablets, Fire TV, and the Fire Phone.

EFF member David Scovetta was the first to bring this news to our attention, but The Verge says members on Amazon’s forums were the first to notice the lack of support for device encryption in the Fire OS 5 update back on February 21.

There are two interesting aspects about this news: the decision itself, and the fact that Amazon customers weren't aware of this change until a couple of weeks ago, even though the update dropped in early December.

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Though Amazon's decision has nothing to do with Apple, it is interesting to see both companies take different stances on encryption.

As many are aware, Apple has been embroiled in a fight with the FBI after the bureau issued a court order to break into the iPhone owned by Syed Farook, the suspect of the San Bernardino shooting that left 14 dead and 22 seriously injured back in December.

iPhone password
Carolyn Kaster / AP

The FBI wants Apple to create a separate version of iOS, the company's popular operating system for iPhones and iPads, so that there’s no limit to how many passcodes can be tried and so that passcodes can be input electronically. Apple, and many tech companies, are fighting the FBI since they believe doing this would deeply undermine the privacy and security of citizens, since a tool to break into the iPhone could be extremely dangerous if it ever fell into the wrong hands.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, what the FBI is asking his company to do is “the software equivalent of cancer.”

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And so, while so many tech companies are coming out in support of Apple and its decision to stand up for encryption — it is, after all, an essential tool used by journalists, protesters, and grassroots movements — Amazon’s quiet decision to remove encryption from its own devices this week is, in a word, confusing.

Just yesterday, Amazon was one of several tech companies, including Microsoft, Google and Snapchat, to collectively file an amicus brief in support of Apple’s decision. The 24-page letter filed Thursday asks the court to vacate its order compelling Apple to help the government in this particular way. Here’s one notable important passage early in the brief (fyi, “amici” in these instances refer to "amici curiae," which is Latin for “friend of the court”):

“Amici often compete vigorously with Apple — and with each other. But amici here speak with one voice because of the singular importance of this case to them and their customers who trust amici to safeguard their data and most sensitive communications from attackers.”

kindle jeff bezos
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds up the Kindle Fire HD 7" and Kindle Fire HD 8.9" during Amazon's Kindle Fire event in Santa Monica, California September, 2012.
Gus Ruelas/Reuters

This statement highlights why this move from Amazon is so confusing. Millions of people use Amazon devices every day — Fire tablets, Fire TVs, you name it. But in that amicus brief sent to the court on Thursday, Amazon is saying encryption is important in safeguarding data from attackers and weakening it “will harm Americans’ security in the long run.” If that's the case, why remove this important safeguard from so many popular consumer devices?

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An Amazon spokesperson did however issue this statement to WIRED:

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“In the fall when we released Fire OS 5, we removed some enterprise features that we found customers weren’t using. All Fire tablets’ communication with Amazon’s cloud meet our high standards for privacy and security, including appropriate use of encryption.”

Amazon’s statement seems to imply that its Fire OS devices still create a secure connection with Amazon’s cloud, so your information is safe there, but data is no longer secure once it reaches your device. We imagine Amazon will have more to say on the issue considering how many people and privacy advocates are criticizing this move.

Update: Amazon on Saturday morning issued a statement to Tech Insider, announcing it will bring back the encryption option to Fire OS devices this spring.

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