Google forcibly installs COVID contacts monitoring app on Android devices

Users noticed that the MassNotify app, which is used for monitoring COVID contacts and tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, appeared on their devices without warning. At the same time, people are not able to open the application or find it in the Google Play Store.

Users can select the country and state from which they want to receive notifications, and the corresponding region app will be installed on the device.

One YCombinator Hacker News reader contacted MassNotify support and was told that the MassNotify app on their list of apps means it’s installed on the device, but not necessarily active.

However, many users write that they cannot find any icons and traces of the application, as well as that it is not found in the Google Play Store when prompted for “MassNotify”, and therefore it is impossible to delete it forcibly. Instead, people have to use the direct MassNotify URL in the Google Play Store to remove it, as the app uses there the name Exposure Notifications Settings Feature – MA.

Interestingly, two versions of MassNotify can be found on the Google Play Store. It looks like one of them was not automatically distributed, it only has about 1000 installs and a 4.1 stars rating. The second version, marked “v3”, is drowning in negative reviews (1.1 stars currently), and users write that the application was automatically installed on their devices, and some even suspect that it is malware.

Soon, the media drew attention to this problem and turned to Google for comment. Here’s what the company said to 9to5Google reporters:

Let me remind you that we wrote about the Mysterious Cyber Group Attacks COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain, as well as that then COVID-19 vaccine data emerged on the Russian-language darkweb forum.