Sometimes the updates we install to keep our devices safe do a little bit more than we might suspect at first glance. Take the October 2024 Android Security Bulletin.
It included a new service called Android System SafetyCore. If you can find a mention of that in the security bulletin, you’re a better reader then I am. It wasn’t until a few weeks later, when a Google security blog titled 5 new protections on Google Messages to help keep you safe revealed that one of the new protections was designed to introduce Sensitive Content Warnings for Google Messages.
Sensitive Content Warnings is an optional feature that blurs images that may contain nudity before viewing, and when an image that may contain nudity is about to be sent or forwarded, it will remind users of the risks of sending nude imagery and preventing accidental shares.
Wait! What?
Yes, there is now a service on my phone that checks whether your pictures are “decent enough” to send or share? I’m not oblivious to the many users that would be better off with such a service, but I’m not so sure they’d appreciate it.
However, what really concerned me is the fact that Google is looking at my incoming and outgoing pictures. I use end-to-end-encrypted (E2EE) messaging for a reason. The content is for me and the receiver, and no-one else, and that definitely includes Google.
But, again, no mention of SafetyCore in that blog or what will provide the Sensitive Content Warnings feature with the necessary data.
So, you can imagine the surprise and outrage when users found this service which doesn’t show up on the regular list of running applications that has permissions to do almost anything on the device.
And by looking up what this app called SafetyCore was all about, all of the above starts to make sense.
“SafetyCore is a Google system service for Android 9+ devices. It provides the underlying technology for features like the upcoming Sensitive Content Warnings feature in Google Messages that helps users protect themselves when receiving potentially unwanted content. While SafetyCore started rolling out last year, the Sensitive Content Warnings feature in Google Messages is a separate, optional feature and will begin its gradual rollout in 2025. The processing for the Sensitive Content Warnings feature is done on-device and all of the images or specific results and warnings are private to the user.”
Google goes on to reassure:
- The developer says that this app doesn’t collect or share any user data.
- The developer says that this app doesn’t share user data with other companies or organizations.
- The developer says that this app doesn’t collect user data.
- The developer has committed to follow the Play Families policy for this app.
Google promises that it only rates our pictures and does not collect or share them, but this feature has almost Artificial Intelligence (AI) written all over it. As we all know, an AI needs to be trained, and training an AI locally on your phone is hardly an option. I wish it had the necessary power, but it doesn’t.
I for one don’t see how the secretly installed service measures up to what the feature has to offer. But obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion and the device is yours to do with as you please.
How to uninstall or disable SafetyCore
The good people at ZDNet provided instructions on how to get rid of SafetyCore or disable it if you would like to do so.
So, if you wish to uninstall or disable SafetyCore, take these steps:
- Open Settings: Go to your device’s Settings app
- Access Apps: Tap on ‘Apps’ or ‘Apps & Notifications’
- Show System Apps: Select ‘See all apps’ and then tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner to choose ‘Show system apps’
- Locate SafetyCore: Scroll through the list or search for ‘SafetyCore’ to find the app
- Uninstall or Disable: Tap on Android System SafetyCore, then select ‘Uninstall’ if available. If the uninstall option is grayed out, you may only be able to disable it
- Manage Permissions: If you choose not to uninstall the service, you can also check and try to revoke any SafetyCore permissions, especially internet access
Note: depending on the software version and manufacturer of your device, these instructions may be slightly off. I personally couldn’t test them because my Samsung has not received the October patch yet due to the patch gaps.
If you’d like to learn more about AI and encrypted messaging, we recommend listening to our podcast The new rules for AI and encrypted messaging, with Mallory Knodel (Lock and Code S06E01)
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