this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2025
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Google’s ‘Secret’ Update Scans All Your Photos (www.forbes.com)
submitted 1 day 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 5 points 8 hours 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 2 points 4 hours ago

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

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 5 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] Xanza@lemm.ee 2 points 6 hours 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 5 hours 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 5 hours 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 4 hours ago

By upgrade, do you mean OS upgrade?

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

how to freeze it on the app?

[–] jayandp@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 hours 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 7 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world -1 points 7 hours 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 6 hours 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 4 hours ago

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