9mo ago

Google Allows Creditors to Brick Your Phone

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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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.
- 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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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...
  
  I am a serial complaint lodger, just that I'm much busier than I used to be. I may do it once I figure out what's going on with it on my phone.
  
  Fair cop.
  
  Thanks for you understanding friendo 🇦🇺
  If it tickles your fancy, I once lodged a complaint with the national measurement institute to get a bar to stop selling American pints.
  And they now sell it by the mL, beautiful
  
  Solid.
  
  Thank you for limiting the spread of freedom units. I wish my country would just get over itself and switch already.
  
  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.
  
  Definitely report this to the accc
  
  I'm in Australia, and when I search for Device Lock Controller in Play Store, it says "This app is not available in your region"
  This happens on 2 separate devices from different manufacturers. Both devices were purchased in Australia and have Australian ROMs
  
  Also in Australia and it shows that to me as well
  
  But going into my app list and showing system does show it
  
  Check your installed apps (I left an edit in th post where to check). Just because it's not listen in the Playstore for Australia, doesn't mean it's not installed.
  
  Yeah, I checked installed apps (checked system apps), and I don't have it installed on either of my devices
  
  What model do you have, out of curiosity?
- 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.
  
  DivestOS here, it's not in my ROM.
  
  Are you looking at system apps? It's installed as a system app on my phone using GrapheneOS
  com.android.devicelockcontroller
  Looks like it's an AOSP app
  
  I see it on Graphene too, took away its network perms at least.
  
  Yep, I checked a few places, in the end ClassyShark seemed to be the best place to see everything.
  
  I don't doubt it's part of AOSP, but that doesn't mean it needs to be left in the ROM.
  
  iodéOS here and I can't find it on my phone either (yes I looked at the system apps)
  
  Can't find it in OxygenOS
  
  Did you check your system apps? It's an AOSP app, so I would be surprised if this were the case. It could be under either com.google or com.android.
  
  Yeah I did it's not there
  
  I still would be very surprised if this were the case. Unfortunately it seems that OxygenOS does not have public repositories to actually check the source code (!), but there are apps that will actually show you all of your installed packages and I bet one of those would show that it's installed.
  
  I've got it on OOS14, I've got an EU OP11
  
  Permanently Deleted
- Of course, it was a lie since it's still on Play Store an of today and in use.
  FWIW, I just searched it up and it's listed as unavailable in my region (USA) 🤷‍♂️ so at the very least, they scoped it down a little bit
  
  So they region locked it from US, but it can still be pre-installed as a system app from AOSP. And it's available in EU, while was meant to be in Kenya only.
  
  Just because it's not in the Playstore, doesn't mean it's not installed.
  It's not listed in the Australian Playstore either, yet here we are with it making internet requests.
  It's definitely installed.
  
  It's not just you, it's phoning home for me too. Pixel 7, also Australia, bought outright from officeworks. I don't log network reqs so I don't know exacts, but it's using 25kb every 3 days or so, so it's doing something.
  
  I checked and don't see it. So either my phone is too old, or is exempt since I bought from Google Fi.
  
  Permanently Deleted
  
  From reading the comments, I think it's on all newer Android phones (perhaps Android 13+?). My phone is probably just too old.
  
  I see it on my pixel 5a on Android 14 as well. Guess that solidifies my decision to move to Apple once this phone dies
  
  Checked my pixel 6 and it's on mine. Might not be in the store for everyone, but it's installed on my owned device.
- 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.
  
  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
  
  I'd assume they want to be able to update it and that's why it needs a store listing.

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