Research In Motion will put an end to users ability to sideload applications on the BlackBerry PlayBook with the next update. In response to a developer enquiry, RIM Developer Relations VP Alex Saunders’s Twitter response was unequivocal:
we’re removing sideloading for consumers. Pretty sure we’ve got a solution for devs.
Saunders defended RIM’s decision with a further tweet:
piracy is a huge problem for Android devs, and we don’t want to duplicate the chaotic cesspool of Android market
Saunders has now taken to the Inside BlackBerry Developer Blog to clarify further that the feature is not completely disappearing:
Side-loading 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 side load a pirated app.
The next release of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS will add application encryption so that they can only be run by the user who purchased the app.
It’s likely but unconfirmed right now that the same restrictions will be in effect with BlackBerry 10.
Read more: @asaunders tweet 1, @asaunders tweet 2 and RIM Developer Blog