Google’s ‘Secret’ Update Scans All Your Photos
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I didn't have it in my app drawer but once I went to this link, it showed as installed. I un-installed it ASAP.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore&hl=en-US
I also reported it as hostile and inappropriate. I am sure Google will do fuck all with that report but I enjoy being petty sometimes
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Even worse, i found this comment in the app store and it did the same on my device :
Installed automatically without my knowledge, no notification, only found it because of a friend's post, and even then, you only see it through a link, it doesn't come up in your app list or a search of the Google play store. I thought it felt like my battery was draining a little quicker too, which is apparently also something noticed in connection to having this app. Uninstalling.
link : ...
Oh right, maybe I noticed because of Storage Isolation, that's an app which allows you to restrict folder access of other apps, and it prompts me to select actions for every newly installed app. So it casually prompts me whenever google pushes a new, hidden installation.
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Its a classic example of using "BUT THE CHILDREN" to be invasive dickheads.
And it immediately reminds me of the story of the guy whose kid had a rash in the diaper area during covid, and the pediatrician requested pictures, which google flagged as child pornography and called the cops on him, and banned/locked him out of everything (phone number, emails, pictures, etc etc) because he had everything on google.
and no amount of the police, or even doctor, insisting the pictures were medical necessity and not child pornography would convince google to restore his acount or even let him recover his number/email/pictures/etc.
The fact that Google refused to restore his account even after the police that they called said there was no child porn pisses me off to no end. They are officially allowed to close your account for no reason other than they don't like you.
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Freezing an app in an non-root fashion doesn't do anything special. It's moved to a different location and is effectively "removed" from a runnable state. The OS shows it as disabled/removed, but the files are still there. Newer versions of android (14+) will recognize applications it thinks are necessary (like this one, from Google) are moved/disabled and will pull a new apk during the upgrade process. It effectively re-installs the app.
By upgrade, do you mean OS upgrade?
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Tracking maybe, but how is the Play Store managing my apps?
the google play services system can silently install and remove apps from your phone
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I understand, I was in exactly the same position. Then my battery swelled and wouldn't hold a charge at all, so I couldn't restore anything anyway, and my last backup was inaccessible (I know I know, test your backups, but like I started this post with I'm in the same boat of all work and no time for me).
Losing everything was remarkably freeing. Just switch all your 2FA to Aegis as has been suggested, and save anything you want to back up over the wire, then take the plunge. You won't regret the switch
how do you make sure that you always have the latest aegis backup somewhere else? did you automate uploading it somewhere?
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Oh right, maybe I noticed because of Storage Isolation, that's an app which allows you to restrict folder access of other apps, and it prompts me to select actions for every newly installed app. So it casually prompts me whenever google pushes a new, hidden installation.
i believe this application hides in different ways on different devices and maybe it is also different by regions making it even worse to detect and explain to someone else. So, i wouldn't be surprised if you told me you found it in a different way than how it was explained in my comment.
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Seems to be innocuous, but there's no harm in removing it. Next update, it'll be returned, so the better solution long-term will be (if you're rooted) is to use an application to freeze it, which effectively disables it and it should survive and update. If you delete the app, a new update will put it back.
Jokes on you my phone is so old it hasn't updated in 4 years
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Basically, ot scans all files and shit like an antivirus does on windows? Oks
No, antivirus software only looks for matches with known malware and exploits.
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Per one tech forum this week: “Google has quietly installed an app on all Android devices called ‘Android System SafetyCore’. It claims to be a ‘security’ application, but whilst running in the background, it collects call logs, contacts, location, your microphone, and much more making this application ‘spyware’ and a HUGE privacy concern. It is strongly advised to uninstall this program if you can. To do this, navigate to 'Settings’ > 'Apps’, then delete the application.”
Thanks. Just uninstalled. What a cunts
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This is incorrect. It's installed silently via a background OTA. It's never installed purposefully through the google play store.
It's not installed with OTA, but through Play Services. I use microG and never will have any issue with apps auto-installing.
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I just un-installed it
Anyone know what Android System Intelligence does? Should that be un-installed as well?
You can safely uninstall System Intelligence if you don't need it. My phone has worked fine without it in the past year.
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i believe this application hides in different ways on different devices and maybe it is also different by regions making it even worse to detect and explain to someone else. So, i wouldn't be surprised if you told me you found it in a different way than how it was explained in my comment.
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::: spoiler also in the Forbes article :
Per one tech forum
(
https://gbatemp.net/threads/psa-to-all-android-users-google-quietly-installs-spyware-on-android-devices.667542/
)
this week: “Google has quietly installed an app on all Android devices called ‘Android System SafetyCore’. It claims to be a ‘security’ application, but whilst running in the background, it collects call logs, contacts, location, your microphone, and much more making this application ‘spyware’ and a HUGE privacy concern. It is strongly advised to uninstall this program if you can.
:::
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Apple had it report suspected matches, rather than warning locally
They were not “suspected” they had to be matches to actual CSAM.
And after that a reduced quality copy was shown to an actual human, not an AI like in Googles case.
So the false positive would slightly inconvenience a human checker for 15 seconds, not get you Swatted or your account closed
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it had a ridiculous amount of safeties to protect people’s privacy
The hell it did, that shit was gonna snitch on its users to law enforcement.
Nope.
A human checker would get a reduced quality copy after multiple CSAM matches. No police was to be called if the human checker didn’t verify a positive match
Your idea of flooding someone with fake matches that are actually cat pics wouldn’t have worked
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Thanks. Just uninstalled. What a cunts
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Nope.
A human checker would get a reduced quality copy after multiple CSAM matches. No police was to be called if the human checker didn’t verify a positive match
Your idea of flooding someone with fake matches that are actually cat pics wouldn’t have worked
That's a fucking wiretap, yo
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Yep. I'm furious at Mozilla right now. But when the Firefox Phone was in development, they were one of the web's heroes.
it says its only for LLM? as long as they dont try to expand the "privacy" in any case i download alternatives to the browsers anyways.
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I've looked into it.l briefly. Did you have any issues switching? I'm concerned about how some apps I need would function.
I switched from a Samsung to a Pixel a couple years ago. I instantly installed GrapheneOS and have loved it ever since. It generally works perfectly normally with the huge background benefit of security and privacy. The only issues I have had is one of my banking apps doesn't work (but the others work fine) and lack of RCS (but I'm sure it's coming).
In short, highly highly recommend. I will be sticking with GOS for the long term! -
I've got a Pixel 8 Pro and I'm currently using the stock OS. Anything in particular that you miss with Graphene OS?
I switched from a Samsung to a Pixel a couple years ago. I instantly installed GrapheneOS and have loved it ever since. It generally works perfectly normally with the huge background benefit of security and privacy. The only issues I have had is one of my banking apps doesn’t work (but the others work fine) and lack of RCS (but I’m sure it’s coming). In short, highly highly recommend. I will be sticking with GOS for the long term!
