Security News > 2021 > June > Google force installs Mass.gov COVID-19 app on residents' phones
Google is force-installing a Massachusetts COVID-19 tracking app on residents' Android devices without an easy way to uninstall it.
For the past few days, users have reported that Google silently installed the Massachusetts 'MassNotify' app on their devices without the ability to open it or find it in the Google Play Store.
A YCombinator's Hacker News reader contacted the MassNotify Help Desk and was told that the appearance of the MassNotify app in their app list means that it is installed but not necessarily active.
Many people are reporting that they cannot find any icons for the app, and it is not found when searching for 'MassNotify' in the Google Play Store, and thus cannot uninstall the force-installed app.
Update 6/20/21: In response to our questions about the MassNotify app, Google told BleepingComputer that the app is installed but not enabled unless a user turns on the COVID-19 Exposure Notifications.
"We have been working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to allow users to activate the Exposure Notifications System directly from their Android phone settings. This functionality is built into the device settings and is automatically distributed by the Google Play Store, so users don't have to download a separate app."