Google Introduces A New Feature For Pixel Phones Preventing Them From Getting Hacked
Headlines:
- Google has updated the security firmware of Pixel phones by introducing Pixel Binary Transparency.
- This feature ensures that your phone hasn’t been tampered with in any way – before you start using it after buying it.
- This has been done to prevent many third-party manufacturers from installing bloatware and malware in Pixel phones before its being shipped to you.
Recently, it has been observed that many Android smartphones are being shipped with bloatware and malware pre-installed in them. Since smartphones get manufactured in different places all across the globe, the phone that you have has been manufactured by a different company compared to the one sold in other countries.
This difference has led to many of these manufacturers pre-installing bloatware and malware on the phones, allowing them to track the usage information of users. Such security concerns have been one of the prime reasons why people in the US use iPhones – which are globally noted for their excellent security.
This is why to step up their game and compete better with Apple in US and global markets, Google has started rolling out firmware and security updates that will seek to resolve this issue.
Google's New Feature Ensures Your Pixel Phone Hasn't Been Hacked. Here’s How It Works: Pixel Binary Transparency is the latest security benefit for Pixel owners. https://t.co/dgKYZijkcv pic.twitter.com/DOmLcVN93A
— CS Threat Intel (@cipherstorm) August 20, 2023
Termed the “Pixel Binary Transparency,” this aims to fix this issue by inserting a code in the stock Android OS (whose source code is available freely for use by other smartphone manufacturers).
Here, Pixel smartphones will come with this code, which will ensure that the code and the OS haven’t been tampered with in any way before you start using it. Therefore, this effectively prevents manufacturers from pre-installing third-party apps (mostly bloatware) on your device. This has been done using cryptographic logs (a form of digital bookkeeping) that prevent unauthorized edits from taking place.
Google is currently developing this software for Pixel phones, and it will be rolled out with the next generation of Pixel phones (expected). As for other Android manufacturers, they have to wait a bit longer.
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