Google Messages is attempting to banish spammy job-seeking and package-delivery texts out of your inbox, and it’s additionally including a content material warning to blur photos that may include nudity.
The Sensitive Content Warning function is non-obligatory, and if enabled, it’s going to present customers a “pace bump” with “help-finding assets and choices” earlier than they will view a picture with nudity detected by way of on-device scanning. If customers attempt to share a picture with nudity, the app will warn them concerning the dangers.
With all the scanning performed on-device, Google says it doesn’t see the contents of your photos or ship them anyplace, and it doesn’t break the end-to-end encryption out there with RCS. Apple’s Messages app added related safety with Communication Safety beginning in iOS 17 after tabling extra controversial plans for expanded scanning and alerts. The delicate content material warnings can be enabled by default for customers below 18. It will roll out within the “coming months” to Android 9 and better units with greater than 2GB of RAM.
An replace headed out to customers of the beta model could have an upgraded rip-off detection system that’s alleged to be higher at recognizing and checking out the sorts of fraudulent messages that usually supply pretend job alternatives or declare a supply is on maintain in an try and get your private data.
Google Messages already strikes suspected spam messages to the spam folder or reveals you a warning, and says it’s utilizing “on-device machine studying fashions” to judge the message, that means Google can’t see your conversations except you report one thing.
To me, Google Messages already does an okay job of filtering out spam, however I’ve discovered that suspicious texts can generally fall by way of the cracks. Enhanced safety towards job-seeking and package-delivery scams is rolling out now to Google Messages beta customers with spam safety enabled — and I’d simply should enroll within the beta to attempt it.
Additionally, Google Messages is engaged on the flexibility to robotically disguise messages from unknown worldwide numbers, together with warnings that seem when customers obtain a message with a probably harmful hyperlink.
Next yr, Google can also be planning so as to add a “contact verifying” function for Android, which is able to permit you to confirm your contact’s id utilizing a public key, which must be just like the verification system Apple introduced for iMessage just a few years in the past.
