Google’s Unannounced Update Scans All Your Photos—One Click Stops It

www.forbes.com Google’s Unannounced Update Scans All Your Photos—One Click Stops It

AI now monitors your photos without warning.

"Android System SafetyCore’ 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."

If you don't want to navigate android settings you can also simply uninstall it from the Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore

Additionaly you can install this placeholder app to prevent Google from reinstalling it every time it updates: https://github.com/daboynb/SafetyCore-placeholder

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2d ago

Google’s Unannounced Update Scans All Your Photos—One Click Stops It

www.forbes.com /sites/zakdoffman/2025/02/28/google-starts-scanning-your-photos-without-any-warning/

83 12

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2d ago

Google’s Unannounced Update Scans All Your Photos—One Click Stops It

www.forbes.com /sites/zakdoffman/2025/02/28/google-starts-scanning-your-photos-without-any-warning/

122 13

15 comments

it collects call logs, contacts, location, your microphone, and much more
From my cursory look at the APK this looks to be complete misinformation. The app has no permissions beside accessing the Internet and reading some basic device status information. It is not a system app either, so it cannot elevate its privileges beyond that. Therefore it can already do less than most other Google apps you have on your phone.
There's one main service that's exposed: the ClassificationApiService. Further, a machine learning library included - most likely for local/offline inference. And that all makes sense if you read what Google has to say about the app:
Sensitive Content Warnings is an optional feature that blurs images that may contain nudity before viewing, and then prompts with a “speed bump” that contains help-finding resources and options, including to view the content. When the feature is enabled, and an image that may contain nudity is about to be sent or forwarded, it also provides a speed bump to remind users of the risks of sending nude imagery and preventing accidental shares.
Now all that said, Google should definitely communicate the intent of these applications better, and not silently install some suspicious looking app without consent. But if Google wanted more data from you - most of the time they can just ask you to share it - Where do you store your contacts? How do you share files with your other devices?
In any case I do think that this sort of client side scanning is still concerning, since it's now just one step away from forwarding images that trigger the classification service to law enforcement.
- Yeah, this is all made up clickbait. Google is absolutely collecting your data, but this app has nothing to do with it and uninstalling it accomplishes nothing.
  
  Why is it being FORCED on devices then...just because something isn't 'bad' now, doesn't mean it won't be 100% trash tomorrow. Stop trusting companies just because...they have never given you a reason to trust them, if anything it's the opposite.

Where's the Settings > Apps > View All Apps > Android System SafetyCore > Uninstall button? Having trouble getting there in one click.
- It should be just like any other app installed from play store. It's different for you?
  
  I'm just joking about the headline saying "One Click Stops It", because realistically it takes at least five.

According to the docs this is used to protect users from scams and potential nudes on messenger, with all processing on device and destroyed afterwards. Google SafetyCore

I just checked the play store link and for some reason I was enrolled in the beta. I uninstalled this week's ago when it first started getting posted about.
How can they just enroll me on a beta for something I don't even want.
- Because companies face ZERO reprocussions from anything illegal or nefarious they do...except when people get fed up and go e them the Luigi treatment.