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Just the thought of Google being able to do something like this scares the $&@*#% out of me. How on earth can you trust a company that does something like this?
Governments around the world have already started to pilfer data collected from these apps, as was predictable. [1] [1] https://www.9news.com.au/national/wa-police-stand-by-decisio...
How is this different from any update program, like windows update or Ubuntu update, installing software/upgrades whenever you get updates?
Who cares... Google could just as easily slide spyware into your phone. This is an openly visible app. What's so egregious about this
I think the real question is what mechanism allows them to push a random app to some phones? google play services is actively listening for remote installation requests? that's essentially a remote-code-execution backdoor to all android phones?
One possible way: There is a daily job run in the Play Store called "daily hygiene" that performs various configured tasks based on device state and device targeting. It would not be difficult to add some code to install this app for MA users, then push it with the next Play Store update. I am very unpleasantly surprised that this app was installed from a policy perspective, however.
I've reset it to factory settings and put in a Vodafone SIM. The next time I looked though the installed apps I saw some Vodafone Services app that I didn't install. It couldn't be removed either.
So clearly, either Google with play services or the carrier over the baseband modem can install apps without user consent.
Is there any way this can be avoided? Do open ROMs like carbonROM or LineageOS protect against this?
I think the real question is what mechanism allows them to push a random app to some phones? google play services is actively listening for remote installation requests? that's essentially a remote-code-execution backdoor to all android phones?
I thought this was well-known, Android is not private at all until you degoogle. Unlock your bootloader then install a ROM without Google Play Services such as GrapheneOS, CalyxOS or LineageOS. You can consider installing microG also as an open-source minimal implementation of Google Play Services if some of it's functionality is absolutely necessary for you to keep.
ISPs mandate certain capabilities of the cellular modem + the simcards (remember java cards? that ran java? they still exist as simcards!)
Government RCE is still 100% on the table regardless of whatever software your phone is running
I think the real question is what mechanism allows them to push a random app to some phones? google play services is actively listening for remote installation requests? that's essentially a remote-code-execution backdoor to all android phones?
It is obvious that we need better legislation to deal with all the new possibilities that technologies have opened. The installation of this app, even done with good intent, open a lot of questions on what should be possible or not to be done by government and corporations. When you get a device with pre-installed, uninstallable, or auto-installed apps. What are the rules? > "By enabling this service, you can be quic…
While installing an app without users consent can be as questionable as you want, the point about these apps are not the notifications itself but about the contact tracing which is achieved through the bluetooth functionality. also, sending sms messages has other privacy concerns that the tracing apps have tried to avoid from the very beginning. having a person phone number can lead to eventually identify that person while that internal trace id it might use, won't.