This morning I noticed that an app was silently installed on my device. Android System Safetycore.
So what is this app for? Supposedly it is designed to blur any images that are sent to or from you the user.
Android Authority Article Snippet
Sensitive Content Warnings is another new Google Messages feature that Google is announcing today. It’s a feature that gives you more control over seeing and sending images that may contain nudity. Sensitive Content Warning blurs images that may contain nudity before viewing them, and it then prompts you with a “speed bump” that contains “help-finding resources and options, including to view the content.” When it’s enabled and you try to send or forward an image that may contain nudity, Google Messages will also show a “speed bump” that reminds you of the risks of sending nude imagery. - Android Authority
The feature seems to be geared towards google messages.
However why this needed to be a seperate app isn’t really known. Why not just a feature within the google messages app? Google gives no explanation.
Another Android Authority Snippet
Warnings check runs entirely on-device, it didn’t mention that it will actually be powered by an entirely separate app and not Google Messages itself. - Android Authority
Google claims it runs entirely on your phone. Whether that’s true? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
According to my device, the app can have internet access restricted to it (via phone settings) implying that the app does have internet access. Any apps that dont have internet access wouldn’t be in my settings list for restricting network access.
Here’s the developer page. Not much in terms of detail going on there.
Here is the app on Play store with its further lacking detail and currently plunging reviews. Interestingly it seems the app has many good odd sounding reviews. Furthermore, all the new reviews are very negative. The app was 3.8 this morning. Plunging.
The whole concept of the feature isn’t a bad one. However, I certainly dont wish for it to be automatically installed on my device as a seperate app. A feature that is supposedly for a messaging platform that I don’t even have activated on my device.
I removed it myself as it can be uninstalled. It doesn’t show up on play store by search, however you can look up the app link online and get a direct link to it. Which I put here.
Spyware? A helpful feature? I don’t want it on my phone anyways.
(Yes this is a repost, I hope it isn’t considered spam. Yes I did also delete the original one :/ . Goodnight 🥱!)
Say it with me, peeps. Tenant on your own land!
Doesn’t even appear to exist for me in the UK. Yay?
And then I praise microg / LineageOS
I am using both and this somehow made it to my phone, wtaf
If you have play services installed. You will get it.
I don’t see it on my dumb phone
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Hmm, don’t seem to have it on my GrapheneOS phone. :)
Ditto
Thanks for the post. I had it on my phone as well. A couple days ago the messenger app forced me to update, I wonder if they are related.
I first heard about this 2 days ago and it want installed on my phone at that time. Just checked again on a whim and sure enough it was installed!
Google, nobody asked for your safety center bullshit app.
Yup, found on my phone yesterday.
It also claimed that i was part of the beta program, which is probably how they back-doored it in, so make sure you leave the beta program to keep it from coming back.
It’s into the 2s now. Not ok to push something like this automatically. Should be opt-in.
In other news, Google wants to scan all your messenger images.
On my phone it was not installed (Android version 14). I even don’t find it in google play store. Is this because of the Android version or are there maybe regional differences?
As long as it just concern Google Messages I’m fine since I don’t ever use that
Is there not some flaw in this logic in that you are asked to decide if you wish to see a photograph before you have viewed it. Maybe we need an additional app on top of the Safety Core, called something like Android SneakPeek that lets you have a quick flash.
Wow, thanks for this. I do have it sneakily installed by Google to my phone, without my knowledge or consent. If that ain’t malware behavior, idk what that is.
