New Pixel Update may let your RCS messages be visible to your employer

nandohyphen1

Sometimes Google's ideas are just genius, aren't they? (Lol, I'm sarcastic, btw). I saw this news post today and couldn't help but share it. Google and their brilliant ideas for this new feature called RCS Archival on work related phones. Oh boy.

https://www.androidauthority.com/rcs-message-archival-pixel-phones-3617174/

Made me all the more happier I'm using GrapheneOS! :)

DirtyDan

nandohyphen1

Can this have any impact on using Google Messages RCS on GrapheneOS? Is the tech there to allow Google to spy on supposedly end-to-end encrypted messages if they wish (built into the app itself)? I understand it's being implemented for work phones, but is this something we should be concerned about on personal devices?

Its like Windows Recall. Just because it's disabled does't mean they can't just enable it. Or is this completely different?

I just saw this thread and now wondering if it makes sense to completely uninstall google messages and return to plain sms/mms for contacts that refuse to use Signal. I only installed Google Messages and use RCS due to the e2ee harm reduction, but given this article, is it even effectively providing that?

areaman

I think this is for a work phone that is intended for work-related communication, not your personal account. In which case, well, it's not something you would have any expectation of privacy for in the first place. It also notifies you, so this isn't sneeky.

nandohyphen1

areaman I think this is for a work phone that is intended for work-related communication, not your personal account. In which case, well, it's not something you would have any expectation of privacy for in the first place. It also notifies you, so this isn't sneeky.

Yes it is for work phones it looks like (so I guess you don't have a choice if your company requires it). I saw that it notifies you. From a privacy standpoint though, its a little meh, especially with Google involved. Even though it makes sense for an employer to read their employees text messages on a work phone, it still is just a little bit privacy invasive, in my opinion. :)

GrouchyGrape

nandohyphen1 in government, as well as many private fields, we're mandated to record all forms of communication between employees and archive them for set periods of time.

This is why I harp on people not to ever use a non-personal phone for anything personal. Also, be careful what you say.

chinook

nandohyphen1 why meh? My work emails, work phone calls, slack conversation, most zoom calls are recorded anyway (compliance reasons).

on a work-managed device

It's a good thing and that's a nothingburger.

nandohyphen1

Yes. I was thinking of people that do do some personal stuff on their work phone. I know that a lot of people don't, so this really doesn't matter to them. I don't have a work phone, so I don't really care. But I still don't love the feature anyway.

nandohyphen1

DirtyDan Can this have any impact on using Google Messages RCS on GrapheneOS? Is the tech there to allow Google to spy on supposedly end-to-end encrypted messages if they wish (built into the app itself)? I understand it's being implemented for work phones, but is this something we should be concerned about on personal devices?

I don't think so. Yeah it says its for company phones, so I'm sure Google messages are still OK on personal phones (but if Google did stoop as low as to spy on personal messages, that would be a privacy concern and I'm sure if Google got in trouble for it, it wouldn't be good, so I'm sure they wouldn't. But who really knows?). I don't use Google messages, but I'd say its OK to continue using it