Amazon.com comes under fire for Disabling encryption on Kindle Fire tablets, and other toys That use of the Android-fork Fire OS 5. Since the “quiet” change, the devices can no longer encrypt the data stored in them.
Cue: Tedious comparisons with Apple. When asked, Amazon PR explained users did not care for the feature. That perhaps had something to do with the utterly weak CPUs inside These nasty, plastic boxes.
In IT Blogwatch , bloggers know the value of nothing. Not to mention: Check out this amazing musical instrument …
Your humble blogwatcher curated These Bloggy bits for your entertainment. [Developing story: Updated 11:47 am PT with comment more.]
What’s the craic? Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai reports- Amazon Quietly Removes Encryption Support from its Gadgets:
While Apple is fighting the FBI … Amazon quietly disabled the option to use encryption … on its Android-powered devices. [It] deprecated support for device encryption on the latest version of Fire OS.
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This move goes against the recent trend to make available encryption by default. … It’s unclear why Amazon disabled this feature. [Amazon] … did not answer requests for comment. … For some, Amazon’s backtrack might be a good enough reason to boycott the company.
I wonder why Amazon chose to do that? Natasha Lomas managed to get a statement out of the company- Amazon confirms it has dropped device encryption support for its Fire Tablets:
“In the fall when we released Fire OS 5, the removed some enterprise features That we found customers were not using. “… Ironically enough, Amazon is one of the companies [backing] Apple’s stance [in] a joint amicus brief.
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Claiming users were not using the encryption feature … is of course a disingenuous argument. … Users also hate using strong passwords – Amazon is going to Encourage users to ditch Those too?
Which devices are we talking about? Tim Hardwick enumerates- Amazon Dropped Device Encryption From Fire OS Before Apple-FBI Case:
The change Effectively kills local encryption … leaving the data on These devices vulnerable to attacks and Potentially accessible to thieves. … Kindle Fire, Fire Phone Amazon Fire HD, and Amazon Fire TV Sticks are all affected after users accept the Fire OS 5 update.
In the scheme of things, this is a big deal? Rex Crum beats the drum- As Apple’s FBI fight heats up, Amazon drops encryption in Fire OS:
A funny thing happened to the Amazon on the way to its filing a court brief in support of Apple. … Word of dropping its Amazon Fire OS encryption Began to spread like a, uh, wildfire … when David Scovetta, of the [EFF], tweeted.
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It’s hard to say how many this small Affect Consumers. Amazon does not release exact sales figures. … Removing encryption small … not have anything to do with Apple’s battle [but] Amazon might not be winning any converts to its … universe today.
But not everyone sees this as a Significant move. Thomas Palmer for example- Fire OS 5 – No full device encryption:
Clueless masses … do not realize That Android is encrypiton easy to break, has fatal flaws, has a simple back door, and does not actually protect all data. Web data is easy to pull for example, and it does not encrypt data on the SD card.
If these people would actually do some research they’d find this stuff out. … But no, they’d rather no-vote the facts and bury thier head in the sand.
And Finally …
Wintergatan’s Marble Machine (a musical instrument using marbles 2000)
[hat tip: Andy Baio]
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