this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2025
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You Should Know

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YSK: Google Likely Installed this without your Consent (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) by onyxjet@lemmy.world to c/youshouldknow@lemmy.world
45 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/25156749

More Google Spyware to Enjoy!

I woke up this morning to find a new little friend on my phone! Android Safety Core.

So what is this great new application that was non-consentually installed on my device with no indicator that it ever was except an alert from Tracker Control.

There isn't a of information on it, but essentially its an app that "protects" you from obscene images on your phone.

"One of the new features the company announced is called Sensitive Content Warnings. This is designed to give you more control over seeing and sending nude images. When enabled, it blurs images that might contain nudity before you view them and then prompts you with what Google calls a “speed bump” containing “help-finding resources and options, including to view the content.” The feature also kicks in and shows a so-called “speed bump” when you try to send or forward an image that might contain nudity." - Android Authority

As for the Google play description, it's very detailed about what your new friend entails.

Very descriptive.

So essentially it blurs any images of nudity that is sent to you or that is seen.

Obviously the app has to see all the images that are sent to you in order to do this. I'm sure this won't be abused!

The Google reviews on this one sure aren't happy.

You may want to remove this. It can be uninstalled. However to find it on the store you need to look up the link in your browser. I also provided it here.

Dont we all love google and what it does behind our backs for us?

TL;DR

Google recently non-consentually installed a new "safety" feature on our devices that blur any nude images that are sent to you or seen on your phone. They didn't include any sort of update alert or anything and simply slipped it onto devices quietly. Here's a link to the app where you can uninstall if you wish. Of course in order for an app to do this, it needs to see every photo that is ever sent to you. A clear privacy invasion if I say so myself.

Why YSK: Google is known to do things like this. Plus in this case, they did it silently. You may want to remove it.

top 45 comments
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[–] Xanza@lemm.ee -2 points 17 minutes ago (1 children)

It's an android system component. You allowing unattended updates, or clicking "update" is the consensent.

Stop being disingenuous.

[–] AlDente@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 minutes ago

I have auto update disabled and only selectively update individual apps. However, I still found this installed and promptly uninstalled it.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 1 points 18 minutes ago

not on /e/os with micro-g installed.

[–] RaoulDook@lemmy.world 25 points 2 hours ago (4 children)

Found it present on LineageOS phone (with google play services installed)

Did not find it on GrapheneOS.

[–] Xanza@lemm.ee 1 points 17 minutes ago

Lineage is built directly from AOSP images, so this makes perfect sense.

[–] Zirconium@lemmy.world 7 points 1 hour ago

Can concur. Found on LineageOS

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Not installed on my pixel 9 with GrapheneOS, damn am I glad I made the switch a few months ago.

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 55 minutes ago

Same here, not installed on my Pixel 9 XL with grapheneOS.

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 1 points 55 minutes ago (1 children)

how the fuck do i block it on lineage?

is there a way to sandbox play services to avoid this kind of bullshit?

[–] RaoulDook@lemmy.world 2 points 47 minutes ago

You can uninstall it from Settings > Apps. Other apps that don't show the Uninstall option can also be Disabled in there.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 6 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Note for everyone, we have a phone with UK and US accounts on it. This was pushed through the US account.

[–] underfreyja@lemmy.world 3 points 35 minutes ago

Found it in Canada on my phone in Canada

[–] uranibaba@lemmy.world 45 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

It was installed on my phone, no notice at all about it.

[–] SmackemWittadic@lemmy.world 4 points 43 minutes ago* (last edited 42 minutes ago)

Same, despite all Google play store auto update/installation technically being disabled

[–] nalinna@lemmy.world 17 points 3 hours ago

Thank you for the convenient link to uninstall!

[–] FeatherConstrictor@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Huh, wasn't installed on my device. I have a Samsung, so perhaps this update hasn't been released for me yet; I'll have to keep an eye out.

In case this helps anyone else, here's the link to the app on play store.

[–] underfreyja@lemmy.world 2 points 33 minutes ago

It was installed on my Galaxy S21 Ultra, I think it was pushed with the latest "security" update that went through this week for me. No information abouy it in the update or notice anywhere or anything. Uninstalled that thing immediately.

[–] onyxjet@lemmy.world 10 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Yup, it seems its only able to be found on the store via link. Like most system apps. Hidden away.

[–] dmention7@lemm.ee 1 points 28 minutes ago (1 children)

S22+ here, I found it in my installed apps via system settings.

[–] onyxjet@lemmy.world 1 points 23 minutes ago

Oh yup, thats works too.

[–] shoulderoforion@fedia.io 19 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

cheers, opened on my pc, didn't say it was installed on my devices, emailed myself the link to the play store app on my phone, clicked the link, opened play store, and wouldn't you know it, app page came up with an "uninstall" option, and now it's gone. thanks again.

[–] onyxjet@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago

👍

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 6 points 2 hours ago

Back in my day when somebody did something to you without your consent, we would crack a glass bottle on the back of that criminals head....

How did we get this docile or are the rules different when sundar the creep does it on behalf of a mega corpo and ToS says he can fuck your wife?

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

Welp, I was just thinking about Graphene OS... maybe this is the final push...

Edit: But pixels have no SD card slot... Noooo 😭

(I love my A-Series Samsung Phome's SD card slot. RIP 1TB Expandable storage. 😓)

Edit 2: I just checked, I don't see it yet..., but its still concerning nonetheless

[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Not having removable storage stinks, but Graphine has overall been good, not perfect, but better than google spyware.

If you do make the switch (or not) I highly recommend setting a up a backup for your contacts, photos and whatever else is important.

I started backing up apps "export settings" files too. Makes switching phones so much easier.

(I use syncthing to pick the folders I want)

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Not having removable storage stinks

I think you are underestimating just how much that sucks.

I can't even have a full offline wikipedia on my phone and whip it out to "school" someone when on a subway in a tunnel. Like imagine not winning an argument because you can't access the internet. I want my wikipedia always ready to back me up in an argument. (Its not a "real source" but the other person wouldn't have the internet too, so I'd win the argument.

Also I can record like an entire terabyte of potential police brutality incidents, so the SD card slot is one of my favorite things about the smartphone. Its like an entire desktop in your pocket. Its fucking awesome.

Like, a $400 Samsung A series can have a 1TB sd card for like $130-ish more. How much does a 1TB phone cost? Like maybe a thousand USD or more. Fuck that. I can get another 1TB SD card for another $130 and swap when needed to access different content (of course those content is also copied into real hard drives, in case of SD card failure). And, although I have not tried this yet, I think a 1.5TB or a future release of 2TB microsd card would also work, phone manufacturers don't advertise it because they probably didn't bother to test bigger SD card sizes.

There no fucking way I'm gonna get a $1000+ smarphone that could get stolen on public transit, or just dropped. Not spending that much just for 1TB storage. So if I were to go Graphene OS, I'm probably gonna end up with 128 GB base model, and that's fucking infuriating. Like I'm probably not gonna have a 1TB storage medium everywhere I go.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 3 points 1 hour ago

Yup, just got it on my P8 and uninstalled. I think this is the cliff for me.

[–] lath@lemmy.world 10 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Scroll down or search in page for SafetyCore. https://9to5google.com/2024/11/25/november-2024-google-system-updates/

Sort of an announcement: https://9to5google.com/2024/10/22/google-messages-sensitive-content-warnings/

[–] onyxjet@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

That there is pretty much the extent of an "announcement" from them.

I'll actually include this link in the original post. Thanks.

[–] YamahaRevstar@lemmy.world 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

What about mass outgoing dick pics? Better not blur those. Those are my money makers.

[–] kurcatovium@lemm.ee 1 points 23 minutes ago

I presemu you're either not Japanese or you actually are Japanese outlaw.

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 8 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

I want to see nudes on my phone on, fuck Google. Edit: was able to uninstall this shit the standard way.

[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

It simply uses the "Not Hotdog" algorithm from Silicon Valley.

On a more serious note, it likely does on-device pattern recognition, similar to how other apps like TIDY works and will put a warning/blur if the image matches specific keywords.

Not sure why they didn't just merge the capability into the Private Compute Services app instead.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I'm on a pixel, not on my phone.

[–] SatanClaus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 hour ago

Same pixel 9xl not installed here. Fully up to date afaik.