Google's new app will help warn you about nude images in Messages
www.androidauthority.com
Google is rolling out Android System SafetyCore, and it'll power the upcoming Sensitive Content Warnings feature in Messages.

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 🥱!)

  • MaxHardwood@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • shyguyblue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • LogicalDrivel@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • Toes♀@ani.socialEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    It’s into the 2s now. Not ok to push something like this automatically. Should be opt-in.

  • dditty@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    As long as it just concern Google Messages I’m fine since I don’t ever use that

  • calamityjanitor@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Seems weird to have a separate app read sent and received messages? Is it poking holes in the Messages app sandbox?

    • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      Lots of apps are able to interact with your text messages. Many apps are able to intercept one time passcode messages when registering accounts for instance.

      It’s also not weird to separate this if they intend for it to be able to be used in other areas as well.

      Just because it may be used only by Messages right now, doesn’t mean that it’s intended to only be used there.

      • patatahooligan@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        As far as I know, the apps are not intercepting the text messages for passcodes. The messages have a specific format and a hash to indicate which app they are targeting. It is up to the messages app to read the message and to forward the code. This design should not need to give the apps any access to your messages.

  • seven_phone@lemmy.worldBannedEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • KnoLord@lemmy.zipEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Oh thank you! Had it on my phone without any notifications or anything else to tell me that!

    Am an EU resident, so that’s very worrisome to say the least.

  • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Do not want! But I don’t see it on my phone, at least so far. Fairly stock Moto G series with Android 14.

    • GreenAppleTree@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      Same phone, same OS. Try going to the last link from the post. That’ll take you to the Store page. If it says “uninstall” then you didn’t look hard enough. (Neither did I, tbh. I forgot to hit “show system apps”)