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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[–] Xanza@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago (4 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 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] Nobilmantis@feddit.it 3 points 1 day 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 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

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

If you freeze via non-room methods, updating the apk will re-enable it. So it's the same situation as just removing the apk--it'll basically re-enable itself.

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

I've never had an app frozen through ADB get auto-updated by the Play Store or Google Services and get re-enabled because of it. An app with an update available will even disappear from the Update list if disabled, and in order to update it you have to enable it first.

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

Freezing an app in an non-root fashion doesn't do anything special. It's moved to a different location and is effectively "removed" from a runnable state. The OS shows it as disabled/removed, but the files are still there. Newer versions of android (14+) will recognize applications it thinks are necessary (like this one, from Google) are moved/disabled and will pull a new apk during the upgrade process. It effectively re-installs the app.

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

By upgrade, do you mean OS upgrade?

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

how to freeze it on the app?

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day 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 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day 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 18 hours ago (1 children)

did they make it so after people started removing it?

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 1 points 18 hours 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

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

or just disable play store and use an alternative store like aurora.

Then it'll never get installed in the first place.

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

This is incorrect. It's installed silently via a background OTA. It's never installed purposefully through the google play store.

[–] kilgore_trout@feddit.it 0 points 1 day ago

It's not installed with OTA, but through Play Services. I use microG and never will have any issue with apps auto-installing.