When Amazon launched the Fire TV Stick 4K Select in October, it highlighted that one of its new features was that it runs Vega OS, a new Linux-based operating system that it claims is "responsive and highly efficient" and launches apps "remarkably fast." However, what Amazon didn't say about Vega OS or the 4K Select is why it really exists in the first place, especially since most people are happy with Fire OS. Now, it seems Amazon has come clean about what many people expected was really going on.
The catch here is that this affects sideloaded apps. The Amazon Appstore is well-protected by the company, so users can't download apps with illegal content from there. The real issue was always with sideloading, as Amazon's Android-based Fire TV Sticks (the HD, 4K Plus, and 4K Max), which run Fire OS, allow apps to be sideloaded that aren't from its official appstore.
That's where Amazon's new Vega OS for the 4K Select comes into play. Since it's Linux-based and designed from the ground up by Amazon, apps cannot be sideloaded on it. Speaking to The Athletic, Amazon reportedly insisted that its new Vega OS Fire TV Stick will be "less of a breeding ground for piracy" due to "enhanced security measures" built into the operating system and that the only apps users will ever be able to download on it will be from the Amazon Appstore, not outside sources, stopping any piracy from ever happening on Vega OS right in its tracks.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select
- Brand
- Amazon
- Operating System
- Vega OS
- Resolution
- 4K, HDR10
- Ports
- HDMI
Vega OS is a way for Amazon to show its taking action
Don't be surprised if Amazon releases new versions of all its Fire TV Sticks with Vega OS down the line
Amazon has faced criticism for some time about its Fire TV Sticks being used for piracy, and it appears that this is the year it has finally decided to take further action. It's clear that Vega OS is a significant part of Amazon's plan to combat piracy going forward, while its new efforts to block apps "identified as providing access to pirated content" are a way to secure its older devices that still run Fire OS.
"Piracy is illegal and we've always worked to block it from our app store," said an Amazon spokesperson to The Athletic. "We'll now block apps identified as providing access to pirated content, including those downloaded from outside our app store. This builds on our ongoing efforts to support creators and protect customers, as piracy can also expose users to malware, viruses and fraud."
While Amazon is beginning to block apps with pirated content on its Fire OS Fire TV devices, it isn't stopping sideloading altogether, so you can still sideload other apps that don't contain pirated content. Amazon is collaborating with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), a global anti-piracy coalition, to identify apps that facilitate piracy and ensure they're blocked on Fire OS Fire TV devices.
It's clear that piracy has become a significant issue for Amazon, and the launch of Vega OS and the Fire TV Stick 4K Select marks the beginning of its broader strategy to eliminate piracy from its devices.
Amazon hasn't said what its plans are for more Vega OS devices in the future yet, so this is just speculation on my part, but it seems a given that, with all the efforts it's taking to crack down on piracy on its older Fire TV devices, that Vega OS versions of the Fire TV Stick HD, 4K Plus, and 4K Max are all likely coming at some point in the future to replace all the Fire TV Sticks available for sale with Fire OS. Although an Amazon spokesperson told Pocket-lint that "Fire OS isn't going anywhere," claiming it's now a "multi-OS company."
"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+," an Amazon spokesperson told Pocket-lint. "Creating and managing our own operating system lets us innovate across the whole tech stack within our devices where we need it."
According to data from a YouGov Sport survey reported by The Athletic, 4.7 million UK adults have watched an illegal stream in the past six months, with 31 percent using a Fire Stick, the second most common method, only behind unauthorized websites at 42 percent. It is worth noting that the term 'Fire Stick' in the YouGov survey is a broad term that includes Amazon's Fire TV Sticks and other plug-in streaming devices.
It's clear that piracy has become a significant issue for Amazon, and the launch of Vega OS and the Fire TV Stick 4K Select marks the beginning of its broader strategy to eliminate piracy from its devices.
Update, November 14: Added in a new quote from Amazon about it being a "multi-OS company."