Big brother is here.<\/p>\n
getty<\/p>\n
Update: Republished on April 25 with instructions on disabling AI in Google Messages and WhatsApp, and a new messaging privacy option for billions of users.<\/p>\n
When Google added photo scanning technology to Android phones, it caused a huge backlash<\/a>, with the company accused of \u201csecretly<\/a>\u201d installing new monitoring technology on Android phones \u201cwithout user permission.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, Google assured me that SafetyCore<\/a> was an enabling framework and would not actually start scanning photos or other content. The new app, it said, \u201cprovides on-device infrastructure for securely and privately performing classification to help users detect unwanted content. Users control SafetyCore, and SafetyCore only classifies specific content when an app requests it through an optionally enabled feature.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesNSA Warning\u2014Check These iPhone, Android Message SettingsBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n Well that time has now come and it starts with Google Messages. As reported by 9to5Google<\/a>, \u201cGoogle Messages is rolling out Sensitive Content Warnings that blur nude images on Android.\u201d Not only does it blur content, but it also warns that such imagery can be harmful and provides options to view explicit content or block numbers.<\/p>\n This AI scanning takes place on device, and Google also assures that nothing is sent back to them. Android hardener GrapheneOS backed up that claim: SafetyCore \u201cdoesn\u2019t provide client-side scanning used to report things to Google or anyone else. It provides on-device machine learning models usable by applications to classify content as being spam, scams, malware, etc. This allows apps to check content locally without sharing it with a service and mark it with warnings for users.\u201d<\/p>\n AI photo monitoring is here<\/p>\n 9to5Google<\/p>\n But GrapheneOS also lamented that “it\u2019s unfortunate that it\u2019s not open source and released as part of the Android Open Source Project and the models also aren\u2019t open let alone open source\u2026 We\u2019d have no problem with having local neural network features for users, but they\u2019d have to be open source.\u201d Back to that secrecy point, again.<\/p>\n The Google Messages update was expected. The question now is what comes next. And the risk is that the capability is being introduced at the same time as secure, encrypted user content is under increasing pressure<\/a> from legislators and security agencies around the world. Each time such technology is introduced, privacy advocates push back.<\/p>\n For now the feature is disabled by default for adults but enabled by default for children. Adults can decide to enable the new safety measures in Google Messages Settings, under Protection & Safety\u2014 Manage sensitive content warnings. Depending on a child\u2019s age, their settings can only be changed in either their account settings or Family Link.<\/p>\n If you really don\u2019t want this monitoring capability on your phone, you can remove SafetyCore itself. Albeit, there is a chance it will reinstall with a Play Services update and so you need to check regularly to ensure it has not come back.<\/p>\n Per Kaspersky<\/a>, \u201cIf you don\u2019t need this kind of hand-holding, or don\u2019t like having extra apps, you can simply remove SafetyCore from your phone. Unlike numerous other Google services, this app can easily be uninstalled through both Google Play and the \u2018Apps\u2019 subsection of the phone settings. However, bear in mind that Google might reinstall the app with a future update.\u201d<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t end here, and so just as with Gmail and other platforms<\/a>, Google\u2019s 3 billion Android, email and other users will need to decide what level of AI scanning, monitoring and analysis they\u2019re comfortable with and where they draw the line. This is on-device, but many of the new updates don\u2019t have that same privacy protection.<\/p>\n AI monitoring is here to stay and will take some getting used to. As Phone Arena<\/a> points out, the new photo scanning \u201calso works in reverse; if you try to send or forward an image that might be considered sensitive, Messages will flash a heads-up to let you know what you\u2019re about to share, and you\u2019ll have to confirm before it goes through.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesDelete These Texts\u2014Just 24 Hours To Hack Your PhoneBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n There is another privacy and security note for Google Photos users as well that\u2019s due to hit soon. As reported by Android Authority<\/a>, \u201cGoogle Photos is testing a new feature that allows users to share albums and moments via QR code, separate from the existing Quick Share option for individual images. The feature makes it easier and quicker to share albums and moments with someone nearby. The QR code sharing tool is still in development and not publicly available yet, but we managed to get it up and running in version 7.26 of the Google Photos app.\u201d<\/p>\n QR codes are equally useful and dangerous. They are increasingly being used instead of text links in emails, messages and PDFs, as it\u2019s easier to trick a user into tapping on a QR code than a link given the endless warnings over links.<\/p>\n Android Authority explains with the new update, \u201cyou open an album, tap the plus icon displayed under it, tap the \u2018Show QR code\u2019 option in the share sheet, and show it to the person you want to share the album with. Scanning the QR code instantly adds the receiver to the album without having to fiddle with creating and sharing links.\u201d<\/p>\n Given this, there are no concerns with Google\u2019s new update, other than scammers will inevitably take this latest mass market QR code rollout and see if they can hide behind it, dressing up attacks as photo sharing and pushing messages to potential victims.<\/p>\n Google Messages isn\u2019t the only messaging platform facing down user question over the introduction of AI this week. And the furor that\u2019s buzzing around WhatsApp may be even worse. “We think giving people these options is a good thing and we\u2019re always listening to feedback from our users,” WhatsApp has just responded to BBC News<\/a>, after criticism that the new AI is both optional and unremovable from the app.<\/p>\n WhatsApp<\/a> explains that \u201cMeta provides the generative AI technology that powers AI experiences available through WhatsApp,\u201d and that \u201cMeta AI through WhatsApp is an optional service from Meta that can answer your questions, teach you something, or help come up with new ideas.\u201d Exactly what you need from a messaging app. With neat irony, the AI upgrade comes just as WhatsApp also adds \u201cadvanced chat privacy<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Google faced down its own criticisms when it first touted the introduction of Gemini to Messages, with hints that AI might scan a user\u2019s messaging history to shape the tone and context of its suggested replies. As was said at the time, that\u2019s a difficult match with an encrypted messaging platform. Google and Meta will both face understandable privacy and data harvesting concerns from their users over AI.<\/p>\n As Polly Hudson commented in The Guardian<\/a>, \u201cwhen I first saw the small blue-and-purple hoop last week, I was terrified that it meant I was now live streaming my life to the entire metaverse, something I presumed I had agreed to when accepting but (of course) not reading the terms and conditions. As the saying goes, if you\u2019re not paying for the product, you are the product.\u201d<\/p>\n ForbesDo Not Call These Numbers On Your Phone\u2014Even If It\u2019s UrgentBy Zak Doffman<\/a><\/p>\n And so now WhatsApp\u2019s 3 billion users also need to decide. Ironically, Gemini AI can still be disabled in Google Messages, making it arguably more private \u2014 at least from an optics perspective. Per Softonic<\/a>: \u201cTo disable the Gemini button, open Google Messages and tap your profile photo in the upper-right corner. From there, go to Message settings, then tap on Gemini in Messages. You will find a toggle labeled Show Gemini button. Turning this off will immediately remove the blue star icon from your interface, giving you a more streamlined chat experience.\u201d<\/p>\n The better news for WhatsApp users, is that the platform has also released an advanced privacy setting for chats, and that does disable Meta AI<\/a>. “Advanced Chat Privacy,” WhatsApp says<\/a> \u201cis a new setting available in both chats and groups helps prevent others from taking content outside of WhatsApp for when you may want extra privacy. When the setting is on, you can block others from exporting chats, auto-downloading media to their phone, and using messages for AI features. That way everyone in the chat has greater confidence that no one can take what is being said outside the chat.\u201d So, no Meta AI intruding into any of those chats. It is stopped. At least for now.<\/p>\n Welcome to the brave new world of \u201cbig brother\u201d AI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Big brother is here. getty Update: Republished on April 25 with instructions on disabling AI in Google Messages…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48881,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[4697,4699,26522,26521,26516,26520,26518,26517,633,26519,53,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-48880","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-android-15-samsung","9":"tag-android-16-leak","10":"tag-android-upgrade","11":"tag-android-vs-iphone","12":"tag-android-warning","13":"tag-google-privacy","14":"tag-google-scanning-photos","15":"tag-google-tracking","16":"tag-google-warning","17":"tag-safetycore","18":"tag-technology","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114397627597616361","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}