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Google Allows Creditors to Brick Your Phone (lemmy.world)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by MisterFrog@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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I installed NetGuard about a month ago and blocked all internet to apps, unless they're on a whitelist. No notifications from this particular system app (that can't be disabled) until recently when it started making internet connection requests to google servers. Does anyone know when this became a thing?

Edit 2: I bought my Pixel 6 phone outright, directly from Google's Australian store. I have no creditors.

Were the courts not enough control for creditors? Since when are they allowed to lock you out of your purchased property without a court order?

I don't even live in the US, so what the actual fuck?

Edit 1: You can check it's installed (~~stock~~ Pixel 6 android 14) Settings > Apps > All Apps > three dot menu, Show system > search "DeviceLockController".

I highly recommend getting NetGuard, you can enable pro features via their website if you have the APK for as low as 0.10€, but donate more, because it's amazing. You can also purchase via Google Play store.

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[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Of course, it was a lie since it's still on Play Store an of today and in use.

FWIW, I just searched it up and it's listed as unavailable in my region (USA) 🤷‍♂️ so at the very least, they scoped it down a little bit

[–] BrikoX@lemmy.zip 17 points 7 months ago

So they region locked it from US, but it can still be pre-installed as a system app from AOSP. And it's available in EU, while was meant to be in Kenya only.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 16 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Just because it's not in the Playstore, doesn't mean it's not installed.

It's not listed in the Australian Playstore either, yet here we are with it making internet requests.

It's definitely installed.

[–] Baku@aussie.zone 4 points 7 months ago

It's not just you, it's phoning home for me too. Pixel 7, also Australia, bought outright from officeworks. I don't log network reqs so I don't know exacts, but it's using 25kb every 3 days or so, so it's doing something.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I checked and don't see it. So either my phone is too old, or is exempt since I bought from Google Fi.

[–] fishos@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago

Checked my pixel 6 and it's on mine. Might not be in the store for everyone, but it's installed on my owned device.