Security News > 2021 > June > Google force installs Massachusetts MassNotify Android COVID app

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.

MassNotify is Massachusetts' COVID-19 contact tracing app that allows users who have opted into Android's 'COVID-19 Exposure Notifications' feature to be warned when exposed to the virus.

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.

"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.

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.

News URL

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-force-installs-massachusetts-massnotify-android-covid-app/