Google has announced a new AI-based feature to protect Android users against message scams. The feature, which appeared last month for Pixel smartphones, is now coming to all Android users. The new fraud detection system introduced yesterday comes with other innovations such as real-time location sharing in the Find My app for Android users and special functions for Pixel device owners. So how will the system work?
Google Messages brings an artificial intelligence-based system against fraudulent content
The Fraud Detection feature in the Google Messages app will monitor SMS, MMS and RCS messages in real-time to detect suspicious patterns. When a potential scam is detected, the app will show users a warning, giving them the option to quickly ignore the message or report and block the sender.
According to Google, this feature will protect users against speech-based scams that start innocently but turn out to be deceptive. In this regard, Alberto Pastor Nieto, senior product manager of Google Messages, explains this situation in the following words:
‘Traditional anti-spam protections focus on protecting users before the conversation starts and are less effective against new tactics by scammers using social engineering techniques that become dangerous during the conversation. To better protect users, we have invested in new AI models that can detect suspicious patterns and provide real-time alerts, always prioritising user privacy.’
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The Fraud Detection system will first be available in English and will be launched in the US, UK and Canada. Expansion to other countries is said to take place ‘soon’. The feature will be enabled by default and will only monitor conversations with people who are not in your contacts list. Google guarantees that all message processing is done on-device to protect users’ privacy. The feature can be disabled in the spam protection settings of Google Messages.
Google also announced additional functionality that will only be available for Pixel devices. Pixel 9 users can now connect GoPro cameras or other Pixel phones to their devices via Bluetooth and WiFi to live stream from different angles in compatible apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
All the mentioned features started rolling out yesterday, but it may take a few weeks to appear on supported devices. So what do you think about this new AI-based fraud detection system? You can write your opinions in the comments section below…
