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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People don’t seem to understand the risks presented by normalizing client-side scanning on closed source devices. Think about how image recognition works. It scans image content locally and matches to keywords or tags, describing the person, objects, emotions, and other characteristics. Even the rudimentary open-source model on an immich deployment on a Raspberry Pi can process thousands of images and make all the contents searchable with alarming speed and accuracy.
So once similar image analysis is done on a phone locally, and pre-encryption, it is trivial for Apple or Google to use that for whatever purposes their use terms allow. Forget the iCloud encryption backdoor. The big tech players can already scan content on your device pre-encryption.
And just because someone does a traffic analysis of the process itself (safety core or mediaanalysisd or whatever) and shows it doesn’t directly phone home, doesn’t mean it is safe. The entire OS is closed source, and it needs only to backchannel small amounts of data in order to fuck you over.
Remember the original justification for clientside scanning from Apple was “detecting CSAM”. Well they backed away from that line of thinking but they kept all the client side scanning in iOS and Mac OS. It would be trivial for them to flag many other types of content and furnish that data to governments or third parties.
I didn’t have it in my app drawer but once I went to this link, it showed as installed. I un-installed it ASAP.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore&hl=en-US
thank you for posting this. it’s not yet installed on my phone for some reason, but i will be checking this page every couple days to make sure it stays that way.
Fuck these cunt
Basically, ot scans all files and shit like an antivirus does on windows? Oks
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.
I don’t see it on the app store to remove anymore
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
You can freeze using ADB/Shizuku as well. No root needed.
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.
how to freeze it on the app?
Using ADB:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.safetycoreIf you have Shizuku and aShell/ShizuShell installed, then just run this command in aShell:
pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.safetycoreAlternatively, for a GUI method, setup Shizuku and then use an app like Hail or Ice Box
or just disable play store and use an alternative store like aurora.
Then it’ll never get installed in the first place.
This is incorrect. It’s installed silently via a background OTA. It’s never installed purposefully through the google play store.
Hope they like all my dick pics
Don’t worry they won’t!
/Burn
Well then I hope they like seeing my butthole.
My older brother swipes through your phone’s photos without asking, so I put some colonoscopy pictures in there. He hasn’t tried to look at photos on my phone since.
Oh Google what have you done to yourself.
Interestingly I don’t have it on my stock samsung phone. I haven’t updated it since oneui 6. Is safetycore installed by update or by GMS?
And interestingly enough my phone crapped out on this post. But at least I was still able to read the the post.
Thanks for bringing this up, first I’ve heard of it. Not present on my GrapheneOS pixel, present on stock.
I suppose I should encourage pixel owners to switch from stock to graphene, I know which decide I rather spend time using. GrapheneOS one of course.
I’ve got a Pixel 8 Pro and I’m currently using the stock OS. Anything in particular that you miss with Graphene OS?
I’ve looked into it.l briefly. Did you have any issues switching? I’m concerned about how some apps I need would function.
I did a fair amount of research before the switch to find alternatives to Google services, some I’ve replaced, others I felt were too much of a hassle for my phone usage.
I’ve kept my original pixel stock, the hardest part about switching this one over was plugging it in and following the instructions.
I’m hoping to get rid of my stock OS pixel soon, it would appear my bank hasn’t blocked it’s app on Graphene, unlike Uber.
For the rest I’ll either buy a cheap af shitbox to use purely for banking and Uber (if it comes to that).
If you’ve any other questions I’m happy to help find then answers with you, feel free to DM me.
Uber works on GrapheneOS
Samsung lets me uninstall it now problem.
Jesus thanks for posting this. Found it on my LG ThinQ.
Anyone have a fairphone? Thoughts about it?
I just un-installed it
Anyone know what Android System Intelligence does? Should that be un-installed as well?
Jesus Christ they’re like bed bugs
Is it too much to ask that my phone only contain the shit that makes it work, and not anything else?
Its a classic example of using “BUT THE CHILDREN” to be invasive dickheads.
And it immediately reminds me of the story of the guy whose kid had a rash in the diaper area during covid, and the pediatrician requested pictures to remotely diagnose and treat, which google flagged as child pornography and called the cops on him, and banned/locked him out of everything (phone number, emails, pictures, etc etc) because he had everything on google.
and no amount of the police, or even doctor, insisting the pictures were medical necessity and not child pornography would convince google to restore his acount or even let him recover his number/email/pictures/etc.
First result of DDG search, explains it quite well: https://www.androidauthority.com/android-system-intelligence-3325187/
I’m not seeing it on my S22, but I am seeing system intelligence. What is it?
It didn’t appear in my apps list so I thought it wasn’t installed. But when I searched for the app name it appears. So be aware.
How did you search for it? Search bar in settings?
you can look it up on your app managment settings too, search for it there.
On my settings screen I have a search bar at the top
Play Store, it doesn’t show in local search results, but they list it as installed.
Even worse, i found this comment in the app store and it did the same on my device :
Installed automatically without my knowledge, no notification, only found it because of a friend’s post, and even then, you only see it through a link, it doesn’t come up in your app list or a search of the Google play store. I thought it felt like my battery was draining a little quicker too, which is apparently also something noticed in connection to having this app. Uninstalling.
The app can be found here :
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.safetycore
.i was able to find it on my oneplus, and i also noticed, why is my oneplus 12r draining so fast?
an app on all Android
not my android :)
BTW did anyone reverse engineer it? Or doing rn (I’m HTH)?
