this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2025
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Google’s ‘Secret’ Update Scans All Your Photos (www.forbes.com)
submitted 2 days ago by ad_on_is@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
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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.”

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[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What about the "Android System Intelligence" app that someone else mentioned here? I just realized I have that one. It sounds like it has the capabilities to spy and maybe even more.

[–] OfficerBribe@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Here's a link to it in PlayStore. It mentions some of the features it is a dependency for.

[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago

I saw that, that's what I meant by "it sounds like it has the capabilities to spy", something that can do all those things must have lots of access and could provide perfect cover for any number of undesirable processes.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well yeah, any part of the os has the capability to spy.

[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

What do you mean by that? What I meant is that the functions, capabilities, and permissions it has could enable it to do so.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yeah, so do the rest of the system apps, and the OS itself. Why is everyone freaking out about this one all of a sudden? If you don't trust the Google software running on your phone, you shouldn't be using it in the first place.