Mass surveillance was just taken to a new level:in Massachusetts (so far, and the votes are still out), COVID-Tracker App Installs Itself Without User Consent, Including On Parental-Locked Devices.

Invasive much?

The States of Things

A number of states and cities have made a covid-tracking app available, and have urged residents to install it, but this is not that.

“Massachusetts state officials recently announced the launch of the “voluntary” MassNotify app, which monitors the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The only problem is the app appears to be installing itself on residents’ and their kids’ smartphones, unbeknownst to users, and without their consent. The news creates a disturbing new dimension to privacy laws and even private property concerns as hundreds of users have reported their Android phones have had the app surreptitiously installed, without their prior knowledge,” the National Pulse reports. “The MassNotify app was developed in cooperation with both Apple and Google, and claims to work anonymously and “not track” users’ private information.

“Furthermore, it promises to not share any location data or personal information with Google, Apple, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or other users.”

 

While you may shrug it off as lawmakers’ et al’s latest attempts to keep us all ‘safe,’ there’s no icon on the phone to inform users that it’s even there. As the article further points out, “The app also appears to be reinstalling itself once forcibly removed by users.” And if it can be clandestinely installed and the person has no knowledge of its presence, is that not an open invitation to hackers, and if information is anonymized, how would the user be informed of a breach, courtesy of the app?

We will once again remind you that Facebook (did) NOT notify half a billion users whose personal details were hacked before 2019 because ‘it has no idea whose data was stolen.’ Something is simply not tracking here, no pun intended, and can anyone make assurances that nothing else is being tracked in the app by the state/tech cabal, while they’re there?

 

Speaking of which, it seems that you may not even need to be a Massachusetts resident at all for the app to install itself. You may need only to be an Android owner.  Said one Android owner, “why am I being prompted to update or uninstall an app I never installed in the first place. I am not from Massachusetts and have not been there in years. This is making me super concerned about Android and its security. Google support had no answer as to how this could happen.”

 

It’s also important to note that this move does create something of a precedence and well we know at this juncture that once the cabal/government has gotten a foot in the door, it’s often impossible to go back. They do have a sizeable footprint, after all.

 

MA residents – and perhaps all Android owners – according to Bleeping Computer (Google force installs Massachusetts MassNotify Android COVID app), “you can see whether MassNotify is active by going to Settings -> Google -> COVID-19 Exposure Notifications. The “Use Exposure Notifications” toggle at the top of the page will show you whether MassNotify is active or not. From this screen, you can also enable or disable MassNotify at any time.”

 

If you can’t find the app icon on your phone, “users have to go to the MassNotify Google Play Store URL that uses the app’s internal name of ‘Exposure Notifications Settings Feature – MA’ and uninstall it from there.

 

Which, as we’ve said, can easily be reinstalled again – clandestinely – so check early and often.

And who’s to say that the app won’t be secretly installed in the phones of all visitors to the state as well? Welcome to the commonwealth and have a nice day.

An app capable of being installed without the users’ consent is far from ‘voluntary.’ And the government’s ability to do this is a hack by any other name.

 

This is more than simply the latest shot across the bow when it comes to user privacy and the ongoing battle against the various powers that be in their many forms and despite whatever claims they may make.

Hope you’re paying close attention this time: cell phones are ubiquitous, and this is your wake-up call. Onward and forward.