Amazon changes course and returns encryption in Fire OS 5

Amazon's decision to remove encryption in tablets with a new update of Fire OS 5 caused a natural bewilderment among users: why remove the function that is originally present in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code? What's the point of this? Amazon was justified by the fact that data encryption is almost never used by anyone. In fact, most hamster users have nothing to hide, but is this a reason for rejecting cryptography?

With full disk encryption access to information can be obtained only after entering the password. After 30 incorrect attempts, the entire contents of the disk is deleted, which partially protects against brute force.


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Well-known cryptographer Bruce Schneier called this decision "stupid" and urged the company to restore the encryption function. “I hope the market tells them to do the opposite,” suggested Bruce Schneier. And he was right.

Fortunately, just a day after the notorious update, Amazon changed its mind. Probably, public opinion forced them to change course: officially announced that with the next spring update encryption will return to Fire OS 5 .

Maybe few people actually use encryption on Kindle Fire tablets, but removing this feature turns into a real PR nightmare, especially in current conditions, against the background of Apple’s lawsuit against the FBI and mass surveillance of the population by the special services. By the way, Amazon supported Apple in the court against the FBI.