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Google Allows Creditors to Brick Your Phone (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I installed NetGuard about a month ago and blocked all internet to apps, unless they're on a whitelist. No notifications from this particular system app (that can't be disabled) until recently when it started making internet connection requests to google servers. Does anyone know when this became a thing?

Edit 2: I bought my Pixel 6 phone outright, directly from Google's Australian store. I have no creditors.

Were the courts not enough control for creditors? Since when are they allowed to lock you out of your purchased property without a court order?

I don't even live in the US, so what the actual fuck?

Edit 1: You can check it's installed (~~stock~~ Pixel 6 android 14) Settings > Apps > All Apps > three dot menu, Show system > search "DeviceLockController".

I highly recommend getting NetGuard, you can enable pro features via their website if you have the APK for as low as 0.10€, but donate more, because it's amazing. You can also purchase via Google Play store.

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[-] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

In 2020 Google claimed it was supposed to be limited to a single region in partnership with a single carrier. And was never meant to be put up on Play Store.

A spokesperson from Google reached out to clarify some details about the Device Lock Controller app. To start with, Google says they launched this app in collaboration with a Kenyan carrier called Safaricom.

Google has confirmed that the Device Lock Controller app should not be listed on the Google Play Store for users in the U.S., and they will work to take down the listing.

Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/google-device-lock-controller-banks-payments/

Of course, it was a lie since it's still on Play Store an of today and in use.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I'm surprised it would be on the play store since presumably if you were a carrier or creditor of some kind you want this installed in a pretty clandestine way and wouldn't want to draw attention to it by having an app store listing.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Being on the play store means it can be updated and managed like a normal app and not stuck on whatever version shipped with the OS

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I'd assume they want to be able to update it and that's why it needs a store listing.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I'm using CalyxOS and it's pre-installed as a system app, so this seems like something that's being built in at the AOSP level of development.

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[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

It must be globally, I'm in Australia. What utter bullshit, since I would have never known if it weren't for my NetGuard firewall app.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Being Australian this is likely one to report to the ACCC, as Aussies at least have basic consumer protection, though that get murky with overseas tech entities.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Unfortunately the ACCC gives fewer fucks than you may expect. An airline once cancelled a flight on me and kept the cancellation fee, despite producing no evidence that any government had forced them to cancel the flight (this was during COVID).

ACCC did not care one bit

So while we do have some consumer protection (better than most) I would be surprised if they cared.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

It's 5 minutes out of your life to try, as an aussie, please do, for charity if nothing else, who knows, you might benefit...

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[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

though that get murky with overseas tech entities.

I mostly agree, but you gotta admit the EU has been sticking it to the tech giants lately.

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[-] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

This type of tech is already being put into vehicles as well. I used to get laughed at 20 years ago when I predicted this. Nobody is laughing anymore. If anything, they just accept it.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

your self driving car will just drive itself back to the lot when your payment is late

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

The fun aspect to this is that some banks have forced customers to use an Android for all their banking ops. So:

① You’re late paying a bill
② Creditor locks your phone
③ You cannot access your bank to make the payment because your phone is locked

Brilliant.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

At least it's open-source: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/packages/modules/DeviceLock/+/refs/heads/main/DeviceLockController/

And that'd be why custom roms have it. It's part of the base Android system.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I was able to start some of its private activities with ActivityLauncher as root. Most of them just crash immediately, but the help page is available. And yikes, they got them covered against a possible bypass, no developer tools or sideloading.

Still disappointed this is shipped in LineageOS, but I suspect not for much longer with that publicity.

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[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Requests the app made today.

This is my phone I own outright, by the way. I don't have any creditors.

Update for those curious:

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Mvp comment there. I checked mine and I am in the US, on a phone I originally bought on credit. I do not have that app installed. Go figure. 🤷‍♂️

Definitely worth checking out your app list to make sure. I wonder if it accidentally came downstream from AOSP into the alt ROMs, and that's why it's not in my stock, proprietary, US market, flagship Google pixel device.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I am at such a loss, because I can see it in NetGuard, and open it's app details from there, but it doesn't work even appear in system apps in Shelter.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I find it interesting that yours is com.google.android.devicelockcontroller.

I checked mine on GrapheneOS and it looks like it's the AOSP version of the package: com.android.devicelockcontroller

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.devicelockcontroller

If you're using Shelter, then in addition to that command, replace --user 0 with --user 10

You don't need root to do this. You can also uninstall other bloatware using this same method.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I tried this on a Pixel 7 and am getting:

panther:/ $ pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.devicelockcontroller

Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]

I also tried disable and got:

Cannot disable a protected package: com.google.android.devicelockcontroller

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Ah. I guess you have to have root, then and just delete the apk.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

New to this depth of phone administration, where are you entering this command? Is there a developer CLI I should be looking for or is this done with a third party app or something?

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Hero, I just have to get around to doing it 😅 (I will, but grumble, grumble this is why most people don't bother battling for privacy)

[-] [email protected] 0 points 3 months ago

Remember when Google said don't be evil. Ha

[-] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I think it was "don't. Be evil."

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this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
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