Amazon tells us what we already knew: It ditched Android because of piracy

Update: Nov 14, 2025 (12:35 AM ET): After the story was published, Amazon reached out to Android Authority, stating that Vega OS “expands — not replaces —” its OS strategy. The following statement was shared by an Amazon spokesperson with us:

We’re a multi-OS company, and Fire OS isn’t going anywhere. Vega OS gives us the flexibility to create premium experiences at every price point—notably on smaller, more affordable devices that run on low memory footprints, but also on larger devices running complex AI programs such as Alexa+. Creating and managing our own operating system lets us innovate across the whole tech stack within our devices where we need it.

Original article: Nov 13, 2025 (06:08 AM ET): Amazon has been widely criticized for a loose-handed approach towards piracy by allowing illegal streaming apps to exist on its platform. Following this criticism, it started booting a handful of less reliable or harmful third-party apps back in June. And now, it’s following with a stricter approach that makes it difficult for anyone with a Fire TV device to install unauthorized apps.

With the recently announced Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Amazon is cracking down on unapproved installs by users. The Athletic, part of The New York Times, recently reported that Amazon is relying on a new operating system it debuted with the new Fire TV Stick to prevent downloads from unknown sources. This is because the interface, called Vega OS, limits sideloading — just as Google plans to with Android — and only allows users to download apps listed on the Fire TV Appstore. The same is also highlighted on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select listing on Amazon.

Amazon has been able to devise this solution because the new OS is based on Linux, as AFTVnews noted at the time of the launch. This differs from previous versions of Fire TV OS, which have been based on Android thus far.

Amazon, in response to The Athletic, insists that the move is intended to “support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses and fraud.” The report also highlights that these efforts are backed by Amazon’s collaboration with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a group comprising nearly 50 media companies, aimed at stopping the piracy of copyrighted content. This initiative may also be fueled by the fact that UEFA, Europe’s governing body for soccer, recently became an ACE member, especially since sports watching has been considered to contribute a big share of online piracy.

While Vega OS is currently limited to the new device, Amazon plans to extend these protections to older devices as well. How it intends to do that is worth evaluating, since migrating older devices from an Android-based interface to one based on Linux may not be feasible. It doesn’t comment on whether newer devices will now be powered by Vega OS entirely, but that seems quite likely.

Despite these restrictions for users, Amazon will allow developers with verified accounts to test their apps on the new platform. Additional details are highlighted in a recent episode of The Athletic FC Podcast.

According to a report published by the UK-based content protection agency MUSO, piracy-related websites received 216.3 billion visits from consumers in 2024. Nearly half of them are contributed by users seeking to stream live TV without paying. Concurrently, another report from the previous year also highlights that sports broadcasters collectively lost $28 million in 2022-23 due to illegal streaming, which makes it imperative to block unauthorized methods of streaming sports, especially major leagues like the NFL or the English Premier League.

Notably, Amazon’s move to block users from installing unverified apps also follows its recent decision to limit password sharing for Amazon Prime, which is another way it seeks to generate revenue from users who wish to watch sports on its platforms.