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 months ago by ad_on_is@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world
194 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] Xanza@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Seems to be innocuous, but there's no harm in removing it. Next update, it'll be returned, so the better solution long-term will be (if you're rooted) is to use an application to freeze it, which effectively disables it and it should survive and update. If you delete the app, a new update will put it back.

[–] AbsoluteChicagoDog@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Jokes on you my phone is so old it hasn't updated in 4 years

[–] Nobilmantis@feddit.it 2 points 2 months ago

Who would have thought the best security practice would turn out to be having devices too old to be updated with spyware? No jokes

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You can freeze using ADB/Shizuku as well. No root needed.

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

how to freeze it on the app?

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works -1 points 2 months ago

Using ADB:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.safetycore

If you have Shizuku and aShell/ShizuShell installed, then just run this command in aShell:

pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.safetycore

Alternatively, for a GUI method, setup Shizuku and then use an app like Hail or Ice Box

[–] douglasg14b@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don't see it on the app store to remove anymore

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You can't search for it. You have to open a direct link.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore

[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

did they make it so after people started removing it?

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Nah, for system stuff that updates via Google Play, it's always been like that. Like Android System Webview for example, if you search Google Play for it you only see the Beta and Developer versions of it. You need a direct link to see the default one included with modern Android.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.webview