RIM recently announced that it would end Android app sideloading for its PlayBook tablet, but now the company appears to have changed its mind. In a new blog post, RIM’s Alec Saunders clarified, “Sideloading on our platform is changing in nature.” He added, “Sideloading is a developer feature. It exists so that developers can load their apps onto their own devices to test. It’s there so developers can send a beta release to their testing community for review. It is definitely not there for some people to sideload a pirated app.”
While the company’s approach to sideloading is not entirely clear, they have announced that they are adding new encryption tools to help fight app piracy.