Oct 23, 2024 12:26:00

Google Messages gets new spam-fighting features, auto-blurs nudity

By

Ivan Radic

Google has announced that it will add five protection features to its Android messaging app, Google Messages, including features to prevent fraud and spam and prevent sensitive content from being displayed unexpectedly. Some of the features have already been released to users who are registered for the beta program, and the rest will be rolled out sequentially from late 2024 to 2025.

Google Online Security Blog: 5 new protections on Google Messages to help keep you safe
https://security.googleblog.com/2024/10/5-new-protections-on-google-messages.html

According to Google, more than 1 billion people use Google Messages every day, and its security features detect 2 billion suspicious messages each month.

Google has announced that it will add five new protections to Google Messages on October 22, 2024:

◆1: Parcel delivery fraud detection function
This is an additional protection against seemingly harmless scam messages, mainly those posing as delivery or job offers, and if it is determined to be fraudulent, it will display a warning or automatically sort the message into the spam folder. According to Google, this feature uses on-device machine learning models, so the message will not be sent to Google unless you report it as spam.

The feature is rolling out to Google Messages beta users who have spam protection enabled.

◆2: Potentially dangerous link warning
This strengthens measures against receiving text messages containing potentially dangerous links, and warns users when they receive messages containing links from unknown senders and blocks messages containing links from suspicious senders. It has already been released in India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, and is scheduled to be rolled out globally in 2024.

◆3: Block suspicious messages from overseas
Once enabled, messages from international senders who are not in your contacts will be automatically marked as 'Spam/Blocked.' The feature will be initially piloted in Singapore sometime in 2024 before being considered for expansion to other countries.

◆4: Sensitive content warning
Once enabled, any potentially nude images sent to you will be pre-blurred and a 'speed bump' warning will appear with the option to view the content. Similarly, if you attempt to send someone a potentially nude image, you will see a speed bump with a warning reminding you of the risks of sending a nude image to someone and a confirmation that you sent it incorrectly.

This feature is also done entirely on the device, so Google does not have access to the content of the images or be aware that nudity has been detected.

The feature is managed in Android settings and is opt-in for adults and opt-out for those under 18. This means that adult Android users can enable it at their discretion, and it is automatically enabled for users under 18 who must manually disable it.

'Sensitive content warnings will be rolling out to Android 9 and above devices over the coming months, including Android Go , the lightweight version of Android with Google Messages,' Google said in a statement.

◆5: Contact confirmation function
This feature is designed to stop scammers from impersonating people in your contacts, and uses public keys to verify who you're sending to.

Google is working on a unified public key verification system that will work across different messaging apps, including Google Messages, and when it rolls out to Android 9 and above devices in 2025, the feature will be available across a range of messaging apps, including Google Messages.