Amazon is blaming the threat of malware for its decision to stop releasing new Fire Sticks that support sideloading of apps from outside Amazon’s Appstore.
Amazon has released two Fire Stick models that use its proprietary, Linux-based operating system, Vega OS. Previous Fire Sticks ran Fire OS, an Android fork based on the Android open source project. The biggest difference between Vega OS and Fire OS is that Vega OS does not support sideloading.
It wasn’t a surprise when Amazon released its first Vega OS-based Fire Stick. Although many tinkerers sideloaded apps, especially from the Google Play Store, for additional functionality, sideloading was also linked to large-scale streaming piracy, especially of sporting events.
Over the years, stakeholders including UK soccer channel Sky Sports, England’s Premier League professional soccer league and the world’s largest European soccer streamer, DAZN, have blamed Fire Sticks for much of the streaming piracy. In May 2025, a report by media and telecommunications research firm Anders Analysis said that Fire Sticks enabled streaming piracy worth billions of dollars.
Amazon is no longer making new Fire Sticks with sideloading, addressing that concern, especially as streaming service providers like Amazon have increased interest in live events to make ad sales.
Additionally, running its own Fire Stick OS gives Amazon more control over the devices, including ensuring users can’t interfere with ad placement on the Fire Stick software — while also supporting new features including managing Amazon’s subscriptions and generative AI-based chatbots, Alexa+, and app support.
malware threat
Nevertheless, Fire TV vice president of advertising and Appstore Aidan Marcus did not mention these direct influences of Vega OS when discussing the inspiration for the new software. In a recent interview, Orr Goren, editor-in-chief of Chord Busters, a UK-based streaming news outlet, noted the negative reaction to Vega being a closed OS. According to the publication, Marcus responded by saying that Vega OS was an opportunity for Amazon to “innovate and deliver greater capabilities even on the least expensive devices.”
He also said that building a platform around security and privacy was “extremely important in my mind.” This statement is somewhat ironic, as Vega OS blocks custom launchers and other third-party apps that help users avoid Amazon tracking and ads.
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