Amazon Kindle tablet
Amazon said Saturday it plans to reinstate an encryption feature for its Kindle Fire tablet after coming under scrutiny for disabling the feature, which is necessary for keeping user data secure. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Amazon plans to bring back an encryption feature for its Kindle Fire tablets, the online retailer announced Saturday. Amazon made the decision after coming under scrutiny for disabling the feature, which is necessary to keeping user data secure.

The Seattle tech giant said it plans to bring back the feature with a “full encryption option” sometime this spring by way of a user update, according to the Associated Press. Encryption technology scrambles data, rendering it useless unless accessed by the correct passcode.

Apple vs FBI Encryption Debate | Graphiq

Last fall, Amazon said it had decided to disable device encryption because of low usage by Fire tablet owners. But the timing for Amazon's decision could not have been worse.

Currently, Apple is tied up in a high-profile federal court fight against the FBI, arguing that encryption technology is key to keeping users safe from online hackers, criminals, terrorists and oppressive regimes. Amazon is one of dozens of tech companies that on Thursday filed friends-of-the-court briefs supporting Apple.

RELATED STORIES
Kindle