Amazon Illegally ‘Bricked’ Older Kindle Models, Class Action Suit Claims

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Amazon has unfairly and unilaterally “bricked” Kindle e-readers released between 2007 and 2012 by removing the ability to purchase, borrow or download new content before the end of a device’s useful life.

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The 22-page lawsuit relays that Amazon in April 2026 sent an email to Kindle owners stating that it would be discontinuing support for devices released in 2012 or earlier, and that as of the following month users would no longer be able to purchase, borrow or download new content on affected devices. In the same email, Amazon offered Kindle owners a “small discount” on the purchase of a new Kindle, apparently in an attempt to “coerce consumers into purchasing a newer version of the same product,” the filing says.

The class action lawsuit argues that Amazon never informed consumers prior to purchase that it could effectively “brick” a Kindle at any time, removing or reducing its core functionality, well before the end of its useful life, and thus render the device significantly less usable.

“But Amazon did just that,” the case reads, alleging the online retail giant has deceived consumers by misrepresenting that the Kindle would have access to content for an unlimited period while failing to mention that it could brick a device at any time.

Per the complaint, Kindles affected by Amazon’s alleged bricking include first- and second-generation Kindle, Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, first-generation Kindle Paperwhite, first- and second-generation Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD 7, and Kindle Fire HD 8.9 models.

The filing says that Amazon has consistently touted that its Kindle wireless e-reader provides access to a massive content library of books, audiobooks, newspapers, magazines and other materials through Amazon’s digital Kindle Store, where books can be downloaded in “less than a minute” and digital subscriptions delivered to users automatically. 

Critically, the case claims that Amazon did not disclose to consumers at the time of purchase that the devices’ core functionality—that is, continued access to digital content on the Kindle Store—and users’ ability to update software could be reduced or eliminated for any reason at any time without a full refund of the purchase price.

Related Reading: Nest Lawsuit Alleged Google Unfairly ‘Bricked’ First, Second-Gen Learning Thermostats

The lawsuit further alleges that users who attempt to factory reset or reregister an affected Kindle to a new Amazon account are “foreclosed” from using the device in any way.

Per the suit, consumers would not have purchased the Kindle devices, or would have paid much less for them, had they known their core functionality could be “stripped away,” or that Amazon could “abandon” software support for devices that have not reached the end of their physical useful life.

According to the filing, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recognized that failure to provide software updates to devices such as the Kindle can be a deceptive trade practice, stating in a blog post that “[c]onsumers generally expect that the things they buy will work and keep working, and that includes any technical or other support necessary for essential functioning.”

The complaint cites a Consumer Reports letter to the FTC, in which the publication argued that device manufacturers “infringe on a consumer’s right to own the products they buy” by unfairly “tethering” device capabilities and functionality to software, access to which may be restricted or removed at any time.

“Amazon’s bricking of these Kindle devices is fundamentally unfair,” the lawsuit emphasizes.

The Amazon class action lawsuit looks to cover all United States residents who purchased a first- or second-generation Kindle, Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4, Kindle Touch, Kindle 5, first-generation Kindle Paperwhite, first- or second-generation Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD 7, and Kindle Fire HD 8.9.

Learn all about the legal process: What is a class action lawsuit?