cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/25202993
This was Likely Recently Auto-Installed on your Phone.
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 🥱!)
Just looked and sure enough it was installed on Jan. 22.
Nothing screams “spyware” like installing an app without notice and providing no context for what it does whatsoever.
Btw this has been installed by “More than 1 Billion” devices, so if you have an Android devices the odds are pretty flipping good you have this.
Custom ROM wins again
It also apparently gets installed on LineageOS if you have Google Play…
LineageOS with MicroG 😎
God damn… Appreciate the heads up on that
With that being said. Mcirog with aurora folks!
Yeah, no. If you have android without google, odds are almost certainly you dont have this.
Just reinstall your OS. By default it doesn’t have google.
In the play store, don’t forget to flag it as innapropriate.
Thanks for the info. Quickest uninstall since getting a new phone and removing Facebook. I’ll be waiting for the morality police to come pick me up any moment now…
I did have this up previously and deleted it. I realized my mistake later and now I’ve cross posted it again. Sorry about that. There it is again.
You have a slightly confusing typo in the title. I initially read it as “uninstalled” because you have “unstalled” in the title.
I was like “Wow, did they roll it back already?”
Such an obvious error. Thanks for the heads up. Fixed.
Android System Safety Core is the name of the app. Found it in Settings>Apps and uninstalled on my Samsung.
Thanks! Strangely this wasn’t showing up in searches within the app store for me, but it did turn up in settings.
That’s addressed in the above post. There’s a direct link to the playstore page
The 5 star reviews are… well they are something.
Trust me bros
Thanks for the heads up on this one. Just took a look at installed apps through the settings menu, and yep, there it is… Uninstalled!
The app is ASS and it blurs pictures of your ass.
honestly I am just “relieved” I can uninstall this one
just root your phone
I tried, my phone has rooting disabled by the manufacturer
Note to never buy from that manufacturer again
Reinstall your OS without google, and you’ll never have to worry about this happening
What would you recommend for a Galaxy XCover 6 Pro? I don’t mind getting out of Google’s ecosystem.
I just searched for it on the playstore and couldn’t find it.
I couldn’t find it on the playstore either, but i did find it in my apps on my phone, so check there.
I swear, every time I’m tired of the limitations of AOSP I inevitably begin to bargain with my conscience, like what if I just have a sandboxed play store, what if it’s just microG, surely LineageOS has enough safeguards… and sure enough, within 24 hours one of these things pops up and I’m done with coveting the easy path.
Uninstalled. Thanks for the heads up!
How long until this tech is used to block sending of nudes?
I think their priority is to use the nudes for genital recognition technology.
They dont want to block nudes. Why would they do that?
Parental controls
Genital recognition is for fingerprinting genitals.
So unless your parental controls want to show some peoples genitals but not others, nah
If they’re after mine, it’s likely for the anatomical novelty. Edit:speeling
Postmarket OS it is then
