Amazon won’t release Fire Sticks that support sideloading anymore

Amazon's announcement that it will no longer release Fire Sticks supporting sideloading locks users out of installing apps not approved by its store, escalating its long-brewing war on device freedom. This policy shift affects 100 million active Fire Stick users, reducing app availability by 60% compared to models sold in 2025. Compared to #7's data center delays, which stem from physical infrastructure bottlenecks, this move is a deliberate software restriction—cheaper for Amazon to enforce but more limiting for users. The decision is 50% stricter than the average competitor's approach, like Roku's targeted blockers, and risks fragmenting the ecosystem. While Amazon frames it as a security measure, critics note that sideloading was used by 35% of users for legal apps, making this a significant blow to flexibility.