- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
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 🥱!)
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And what if I want to see and send nudes? Google, mind your business.
So the hotdog/not hotdog algorithm is finally out?
Not sure why everybody is upset that it’s a separate app. Google has been doing this with Android for almost a decade now in order to bring new functionality without needing to update the entire operating system.
They have been moving things to apps so they can substitute piecemeal the open source OS with their close sources: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on-android-controlling-open-source-by-any-means-necessary/
That article is 12 years old. It has only gotten worse.
I suppose but the other side is OEMs abandoning still functional hardware
I was gonna say, I feel like I’ve been seeing a new Android system app on a monthly basis when checking what needs updating in Google Play.
Literally my phone just now
Keeping sealed iodine patches and band aids inside my leather wristbands.
Staying on the edge of the pit to catch anyone who falls or takes a hit.
🧷 safetycore 🧷
so it will be able to restrict the messages you send…and cut off those it does not like?
and if in a year, no anti trump opinions are allowed…we won’t even be able to complain to our friends?
Ham radio time
The technician test is pretty easy if you remember some stuff from physics and you study. https://hamstudy.org/ (you don’t need to make an account here to practice).
Have to be honest first Android lost my support when they did their best to kill Micro SD cards then they decided to make connecting mtp only which absolutely ruined using a cable to transfer anything then came the head phone jack being removed.
The final nail on the coffin was scoped storage which made things so much slower it seemed absolutely ridiculous and also stopped you from being able to use files with the app you might have wanted.
At this point I’m kind of hoping something like Tizen or even Harmony Os takes over.
Why you blaming the OS for manufacturers issues. There are still phones out there with microSD and 3.5mm. Probably also some with decent transfer stuff. Funnily enough, even if another OS took over, it won’t necessarily bring back all the features you want, since they are hardware based. And OS is software.
Because these features where all there and worked perfectly before Google decided to kill them. Are you really arguing every manufacturer in the world added scoped storage on their own.
I’ll also add scoped storage is about 20 times slower and broke many legacy apps as well.
Google doesn’t tell the manufacturers what hardware to include/remove stop yelling at clouds
Google absolutely did gimp Micro SD cards even the phones that have them still you can’t hot swap them because it gets merged with the primary storage instead.
Pretty obvious Google did this to sell their cloud storage when before you could switch cards at will easily.
gimp these
Entirely on my phone?
Why did my firewall ask if I wanted to allow it internet access?
It needs fresh dick hashes for up to date dick recognition
Recocknition, if you will
Hmm, don’t seem to have it on my GrapheneOS phone. :)
Ditto
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.
Say it with me, peeps. Tenant on your own land!
I first heard about this 2 days ago and it wasn’t 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.
I don’t see it on my dumb phone
A “dumb phone” these days is really just an android phone with more user restrictions and less security, but all the same spyware.
Your dumb phone is much insecure than a smartphone which has GrapheneOS or LineageOS. Your dumb phone certainly lacks secure 4G or 5G communication, cannot use e2e encrypted messaging platforms and cannot update firmware in case of security bugs.
Why would I need any of that, its only used for calls or SMS when I am out of the house. Anything important I can do on Linux.
