Wed Feb 19 15:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Amazon to End Kindle Book Downloads: Readers Have Until February 26th to Save Their Purchases

**NEW YORK, NY** – Amazon is eliminating the ability to download Kindle ebooks as individual files, a feature available for over a decade. Readers have until February 26, 2025, to download their purchased books to their computers. After that date, the download option will be permanently removed.

This announcement, buried within the Kindle’s three-dot menu, has raised concerns about digital ownership and the potential for content manipulation. While Amazon states that the change will not affect pricing or the ability to read books on Kindle devices or the Kindle app, users will no longer have a personal, controllable copy of their purchased books.

The decision has prompted discussion about the implications of digital rights management (DRM) and the control vendors have over licensed content. The author points to previous instances where Amazon removed books from Kindles and altered content in existing digital copies, highlighting the potential for future censorship or historical revisionism.

The article emphasizes the importance of downloading books before the February deadline, particularly for users with older Kindles or those who use unofficial methods to access their ebooks on other devices. The author also encourages readers to consider alternative e-reader platforms and formats, like Kobo or EPUB, which offer greater control over digital book ownership. The impending change is prompting some users to reconsider their reliance on the Amazon Kindle ecosystem.

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