this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
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Privacy

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Google Allows Creditors to Brick Your Phone (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by MisterFrog@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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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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[–] BrikoX@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 years 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.

[–] Outtatime@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

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.

[–] nymwit@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

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

[–] MalReynolds@slrpnk.net 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Sigh. Way too much freeze in fight, flight or freeze...

[–] DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

https://neuroclastic.com/the-6fs-of-trauma-responses/

Don't forget the 3 other Fs! Fawn(Friend), Flood, and Fatigue/Flop

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

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:

[–] refurbishedrefurbisher@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago (3 children)

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.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years 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)

[–] _tezz@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years 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?

[–] bigkahuna1986@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years 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

[–] Salix@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 years 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

[–] Steak@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Remember when Google said don't be evil. Ha

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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

[–] H1jAcK@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

"Don't be." -Evil

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

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.

[–] milicent_bystandr@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

So, that looks like this is less insane than it sounded... This is for if you buy your phone on a payment plan? Not for creditors more generally to have a option to repossess/dispossess your phone?

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

This is what small claims court is for. To me there is no excuse for this.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I'm using a fresh install of GrapheneOS, and this is installed too. Not sure what that suggests, except that it's possibly some core system level app.

[–] communism@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Oh jesus, that's crazy that it's on GrapheneOS too.

Edit: I'm on a no-longer-supported GrapheneOS install on a Pixel 3a. I've checked and it's not there for me. I also don't live in the US (like OP). I wonder when it would've been added?

[–] rockstarmode@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I know this is a privacy community, but I'm not sure I'm onboard with the outrage on this particular one. If you rent/lease or go on a payment plan for the device you're using, then it isn't yours, it belongs to the entity you borrowed it from.

If I don't make car payments, the bank can repossess my ride. If I dont pay my mortgage or rent, I can be evicted by my landlord or bank.

If I don't make my phone payment, the company should have recourse to prevent me from using their device.

This could open up the ability for bad actors to disable my device, and I agree that's a horrible prospect. But the idea of a legitimate creditor using this feature to reclaim their property is not something I find shocking.

[–] Trollception@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I find it funny how differently Lemmy reacts to something like this vs reddit. The Lemmy community is certainly very different than reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/jpdup2/google_app_lets_banks_lock_your_phone_if_you_dont/

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 10 months ago

I'd click to see if it was not a reddit link.

[–] TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Love the Chinese phones. None of this crap US stuff is enabled. It's baked into the system ROM so it is there. But on mine it has never transfered any data, not even ever been active. It's just dead code taking up a few megabytes.

[–] RubberElectrons@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think I've seen you around here before, shilling these lower quality, closed source devices from China.

[–] TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Lower quality? Lol.

I'll give you a chance to look up the Mix Fold 3. And then any other equivalent phone available in the US market.

Even excluding the folding aspect, the screen sizes and overall thickness means it looks and works exactly like a non foldy. 50W wireless, 120W wired charging. 1TB of storage, 16GB of RAM. Leica lenses.

On top of that, zero of my data goes to the US government at it does on carrier branded phones. I will give all my data to the ccp if they want it. I have no interest in what they do with it. I have very high interest in what a five eyes nation does with my data and information.

[–] ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

I mean, the preference for giving the data to CCP is something I've also considered. Like, why not get DeepSeek and just say fuck it? It doesn't suck nearly as bad as ChapGPT. I also am not sure I have any interest it what they do with my info, unless the sell it back to the US, or it ends up back here

[–] Trollception@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pixel 7 Pro reporting in. There is no DeviceLockController on my phone. Just installed the latest monthly updates a couple of days ago.

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Pixel 7 Pro here and on the latest update, and I have it. Mine is from factory, so no payment plan at all.

[–] Trollception@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Probably a carrier thing. I'm on TMobile