Google Messages

Google Develops Public Android API for On-Device Content Safety Classification

Google is creating a new public Android API that will allow third-party applications to analyze images and other files locally on the device and assign them one of four safety statuses. The system builds on the existing SafetyCore component already used in Google Messages to blur intimate images. ContentSafetyManager will process images, raw files, and multimedia content entirely on-device without transmitting data to Google servers. Applications will then decide whether to display, blur, or hide the content based on the classification result. Experts warn that malicious apps granted broad permissions could misuse the classifier to scan large volumes of user files and build detailed profiles. SafetyCore itself previously sparked controversy after being installed automatically without explicit user consent and without a visible icon, leading some users to install blockers to prevent reinstallation via the Play Store. Google continues to emphasize minimal permission requests and local processing as safeguards for user privacy.