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 [email protected] to c/technology
270 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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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (16 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.

[–] douglasg14b 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

did they make it so after people started removing it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 21 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

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