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?
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?
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
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 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.devicelockcontrollerLooks 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.googleorcom.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.
Install App Manager from F-Droid and try looking for the package.
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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
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.
I checked and don’t see it. So either my phone is too old, or is exempt since I bought from Google Fi.
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.
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.
Requests the app made today.
This is my phone I own outright, by the way. I don’t have any creditors.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.devicelockcontrollerIf you’re using Shelter, then in addition to that command, replace
--user 0with--user 10You don’t need root to do this. You can also uninstall other bloatware using this same method.
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)
I tried this on a Pixel 7 and am getting:
panther:/ $ pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.devicelockcontrollerFailure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]I also tried disable and got:
Cannot disable a protected package: com.google.android.devicelockcontrollerAh. I guess you have to have root, then.
What app are you using to see this traffic?
Thank you!
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.devicelockcontrollerMvp 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.
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.
Just following up that it
is indeed in my apps listYour Store screenshot is not the same app. What is the ID of the app in your original screenshot cause at this point it looks like you just make things up for clout. Anyone else find it strange that people can post almost anything about Google whether true or not and the bot accounts come out from under the woodwork just to share more fake info.
Anyone else find it strange that people can post almost anything about Google whether true or not and the bot accounts come out from under the woodwork just to share more fake info.
I find it strange that in the face of obviously conclusive evidence that this is a real app that Google made and which many people in this thread have installed (despite not even having bought their phone on credit) you are here posting multiple comments arguing that it is somehow not real…and you even flagged the post. I don’t think you’re a bot but I must say that your dedication to defending Google, especially in this case, is strange to say the least.
Can you tell me what is this app? Edit, I found it, it’s NetGuard
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.
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.
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?
This is what small claims court is for. To me there is no excuse for this.
Yeah, this is likely something that’s configured on an OS level to talk to some server when being sold.
However, note that SIM cards can have a flag that might enable this app (given how much power sim cards have over phones)
Note: no source, just assumptions
Edit: second note: this app isn’t present on my EU OnePlus Nord.
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if you switch providers before paying it of
Usually a financed devicd is financed through the carrier, and therefore a carrier branded device, and therefore locked to the carrier (yes they have the unlock option but compatibility tends to be far more limited than on the manufacturer unlocked version of the model)
If you look at the bottom it says once the device is paid off they can no longer access/change settings
Assuming there are no additional backdoors…
That is both Google’s official version and what it looks like poking at it.
I haven’t dug in the code, so I don’t know if this is theoretically possible for a shady carrier to enable after the fact. But it very much looks like a dormant feature nobody uses.
I guess I could see that making sense in poorer countries where carriers might have issues of people signing up for phone plans and never paying. A carrier locked flip phone was pretty useless, but nowadays cutting your phone/data off is more of an inconvenience than a dealbreaker, you’ve still got WiFi and a nice phone.
On my lineage for micro G install it’s not present (or at least I didn’t spot it) maybe it’s a regional thing? I’m not in the us
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.
Sigh. Way too much freeze in fight, flight or freeze…
https://neuroclastic.com/the-6fs-of-trauma-responses/
Don’t forget the 3 other Fs! Fawn(Friend), Flood, and Fatigue/Flop
Well, that was depressing (irony intended). Thanks for the thinking…
People laughed at Stallman, too. But I’m not comparing you to him. He’s apparently a real POS.
Nah, he’s difficult to work with for sure, and rather extremist, but unfortunately he is a lot of right on the money. I wouldn’t call that a pos
most of this “he’s a pos” comes from the misconceptions about him. he has a certain fixation to the vocabulary, and he often corrects others for it. then those people take the “attempt to correct” as “support” for the debate itself.
I think this is an extremely generous take. For anyone not in the loop, he gets called POS for famously weighing in on discussions of pedophelia by saying children 13+ aren’t children so it’s not pedophelia.
I think this goes beyond being bad at knowing when to correct semantics
Nah, I truly believe he is that awkward and tone-deaf.
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.
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?
There’s little to no info out there, but I did see some suggestions on a forum, that it may also be installed when setting up a Work profile. I use Shelter to create said isolated Work profile. I wonder if that’s a possibile explanation.
This may be the case, as I also have a work profile set up via Shelter.
Weird that it’s installed in GrapheneOS also though.
In any case, even if setting up a work profile, it should just not be installed.
A potential backdoor as a ransomware exploit for anyone who has a work profile on their phone, I would guess. Unless there are other apps bundled with android that also lock you out of your phone.
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Probably Android 13/14, I am not sure though, but I have not noticed this existing in earlier versions (Android 10/11).
Seems unlikely if you outright own it, this is for bought on a plan type stuff, no ?
Edit: On further reading, apparently not. WTAF?
Using Lineage and I dont have it. Sucks for people using Google crap
Out of curiosity, you’re specifically checking in the system apps?
Thats interesting, I am using lineage as well (oneplus 6t) and do have the app
com.android.devicelockcontroller. This could be some junk added when I enable the gapps magisk module which I generaly keep dissabled though.Yeah dont use gapps.
I’ve installed graphene on my phone a while ago (bought from a carrier in germany) and this app does not exist.
edit: nevermind, it’s there
That’s deeply disturbing, what else could be hiding next to it? I sort of hope it’s somehow being installed by your phone company, as bad as that is, the alternative is worse!
I mean, I bought my Pixel 7a unlocked and paid in full, from Google. And my assumption has always been that when GrapheneOS is flashed, any previous stock bloat is wiped.
Righteous assumption. That it is not, requires investigation. That’s some serious BS.
GrapheneOS is just another modified AOSP fork, that is why it has it. It is the same with CalyxOS, LineageOS and all other custom Android builds. Same with factory shipped phones from brands.
I also have it on the latest version of GrapheneOS
Remember when Google said don’t be evil. Ha
I think it was “don’t. Be evil.”
“Don’t be.” -Evil
It was actually closer to: you don’t have to be evil to make money
But they’ve definitely lost their way
Well yeah, you don’t need to be evil to make money, but you can make more money by being evil.
So, don’t be evil until you have a commanding market presence, and then be evil to make even more money.
Seems to be the MO of any large org.
‘Dont be evil’ was a warning to the users…cause google be watching you.
It was a command to the slaves using their services: “Don’t be evil.(We will know and judge)”
Their definition of evil was insubordination, their way of telling people to listen to them, while also trying to legitimize their message.
Version 14 is installed on my Pixel 7 in the USA. I bought this phone outright, no credit, directly from the Google store.
Not on my phone though. Pixel 4a, bought outright from Google but in Canada, no credit.
Did you hit the three dots on the top right and select “show system”? It only shows after that.
I didn’t, but this is what shows after I did. Still not there.
I get this from the Google Play store:
Looking for Device Lock Controller?
This app isn’t available on Google Play in your region.
So, cool?
I bought mine from Google Fi w/ cash and have never used it on a major carrier. I’m guessing it’s a carrier thing, and not a stock Android thing.
Now find that Google store page that op linked to using the same app ID.
This app isn’t available on Google Play in your region.
Looks like I’m good.
That entire idea is terrifying.
anyone remember the time when google removed(!) their internal “don’t be evil” rule? guess this is part of the outcome of that “be evil” that came along with removal of the opposite. Abuse of this mechanism is IMHO veery predictable ;-)
There are plenty of google-free cellphones, one could easily stick to better products of better companies. help yourself, google’s not gonna do that for you within the next 5billion* years as they IMHO already stated they “want” to be evil now, always remember that ;-)
*) thats round about when our sun expands too much for earth, so i currently dislike doing any predictions beyond that point ;-) i do not predict google would last that long, only that they’ll keep beeing evil until their end.
anyone remember the time when google removed(!) their internal “don’t be evil” rule?
I remember when media falsely reported clickbait articles that they did and people bring that up to this day. They moved it from the introduction to the closing statement. Which you can argue makes it less prominent or whatever, but it was never removed.
Of course it makes no difference, it wasn’t followed either way, and definitely isn’t followed now. But no, it was never removed. You can see it yourself right here at the end: https://abc.xyz/investor/google-code-of-conduct/
The only reason this ever got any attention was to push an agenda.
effectively redundant statement
And yet it needs to be said because even 6 years after this didn’t happen people are still convinced that it did. It’s brought up way too often and I’m beyond tired of it at this point. Hate on Google for things they actually do, not because they moved 3 words to the bottom of a webpage.
my point was that the only reason anything ever receives attention in any way is due to an agenda
Devs still need to eat so we will need a better alternative to adsense. As long as we depend on these corporate services their stranglehold will only continue strengthen like this.
No one really depends on these corporate services. People are just too lazy and conformist to give up on the convenience that they bring.
Google-free phones? What are they? I know only Pinephone and Librem 5.
You act like it is Google’s fault that someone found questionable software on the phone they got from Rent-a-center or Alibaba.
You act like it is Google’s fault that someone found questionable software on the phone they got from Rent-a-center or Alibaba.
So then send the URL to the play store page from the app posted in ops photo. Go ahead, waiting.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.devicelock
There you go. Just so you know, you could’ve Googled this instead of making a pedantic ass of yourself.
So then send the URL to the play store page from the app posted in ops photo. Go ahead, waiting.
lol, what? i did, in another comment, shortly before you posted this. here it is again: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.devicelock
Max-P commented on this thread saying the software was made by Google and part of Android (not Play Store services).
That’s just disgusting, but still so normal in the market religion. Google act as judge and executioner above all local laws. Never ever buy a phone that can’t be rooted and reconfigured. …oh, and never again deal with anything Google… …oh, or any other big US tech for that matter. …fuckit, never deal with ANY Capitalist cheater/scumbag unless you have to.
Unfortunately GrapheneOS still only supports Google Pixels, otherwise I would use something else in a heartbeat
Use Lineage OS
I did before I used Graphene, and my experience was a lot worse to be honest. Has it improved over the last two years?
You are much better off using a Pixel with GrapheneOS as far as privacy and security are concerned. Believe it or not, Google Pixels are the best smartphones to use de-googled. Truly outstanding.
Look up why Graphene team only supports these phones, it’s on their FAQ page.
What was wrong with it?
Lots of apps straight up didn’t work, that was the main thing. The other thing was I had to use a VPN app to block app network access, something that is a built in feature of Graphene. Further, Graphene has much more built in security features including actually using secure boot.
Got a non-capitalist phone for me?
Sincerely as a hater…
Huawei is a employee owned and communist state backed company - not very capitalist, at least by comparison.
They’re being hammered with export restrictions and sanctions and federal bans and executive orders to keep that from being a viable alternative in the US, but if you’re outside that might be an option.
Lol as if. It is owned by the trade union who workers are required to be a part of, but have 0 say in.
The “union officials” are not chosen by the workers, but by management who are chosen by their management and so on until the Chinese head trade union officials which are party men who, just like in the old soviet Union, are essentially the chinese bourgeoisie. It is essentially a fascist oligarchy which is the exact same as under capitalism, just a different structure and cover story.
The workers get 0 say and there is no evidence that they share in the profit either, and huawei does not deny that structure either.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/22/why-its-so-hard-to-know-who-owns-huawei/?guccounter=1
I’m not sure how we went from Google to Capitalism but Ok
You don’t see how a corporate entity like Google is related to capitalism? What exactly do you think capitalism means?
Apparently this is the app. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.devicelock
Says it’s not available in my country, but yet it is install and unremovable.
Have you tried using adb to uninstall, freeze, or otherwise disable it?
Just the firewall block at this stage (I’m Tech savvy, but not that tech savvy). I’ll look into it
If it’s unremoveable its probably been installed from the beginning.
Did you buy your phone from eBay or amazon? Could be a refurbished overseas model
Nope, directly from the google store.
Hm, weird
Mine isn’t installed, but my phone is also out of support and doesn’t work on newer Android. So it’s probably a more recent thing.
Is 3+ the age restriction?
Hilarious right?
Root the phone and remove insane garbage like that. Rip and tear until it is done.
How about you just wipe and install Lineage OS
It’s in lineage too. Found it on pixel 7a with actual LOs 21
ah fuck. every day i just wana quit android more for a Brick phone.
Honestly I was in the same boat until I got a Fairphone…
And now I’m in the same boat again. Honestly cannot wait until GNU/Linux mobile devices are viable 🙏
I own a Pinephone64 allready but its still far from the baseline funktionality of a android device. It has hardware switches for the wireless modules tho…
I’ve thought about getting one, but it’ll just be a novelty until it can support MMS properly (trying to get family to switch) and battery lasts a full day. I’ll need a few more apps, but I’ll figure out how to get it working through emulation or something if the above are fixed.
It shouldn’t be unless you installed google apps
You do not need rooting, just an ADB command from computer connected to phone.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.devicelockcontrolleradb shell pm uninstall --user 10 com.google.android.devicelockcontroller
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.
I agree completely, but it’s an odd way to go about repossession.
That’s not how it works, at least in Spain.
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 think courts are typically involved for civil repossession.
But it sounds like this is used when the device isn’t your purchased property, but leased on contract.
I guess it makes sense for them to do this if people started leases, paid the first month to get the phone in their hand, then walked away with the nice new phone they paid like $35 for, to sell or just use off-network.
Well, I would say this is what small claims is for.
Should the bank should have keys to a mortgaged house? When you don’t own the house outright yet? I’m gonna go with no.
And second, why is it installed by default on all phones? Really not cool.
why is it installed by default on all phones?
Absolutely batshit.
Should the bank should have keys to a mortgaged house? When you don’t own the house outright yet? I’m gonna go with no.
Hmm, do they only not have keys because you can’t drive a house away?
So obviously poverty fuggin sux and we need universal basic income etc.
In today’s BS world:
If we ban car repossession, what happens to car prices and access to transportation?
Likewise - if digital repossession of phones is prohibited, will there at least be a couple impoverished people who have to use dumb phones even though they could’ve afforded a reposessable smartphone?
Maybe a few people have to go without those cheaper phones because allowing lenders to killswitch phones causes greater harm to the whole. Anybody wanna speculate?
I’ll just point out that phone plans (to pay off a phone) and vehicle loans have been a thing and worked fine before this bullshit.
So yes, the level of access ought to remain the same I’d this were banned.
