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New feature allows employers to monitor SMS, MMS and RCS messages on work devices
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Employers will be able to intercept and view workers’ text messages following an update to Google’s Android operating system.
The new archival feature for RCS (Rich Communication Services) messages – Android’s upgraded version of SMS messages that supports images and videos – will allow companies to keep tabs on work devices used by employees.
Google said the update would allow businesses to “seamlessly capture the records required to stay compliant” with regulatory requirements.
This could include government agencies, financial services firms or insurance brokers that need to comply with regulations from entities like the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other companies may introduce it in order to supervise all business communications for the purpose of internal investigations or HR disputes.
“Our new solution allows third-party archival apps to integrate directly with Google Messages on a work device,” Ian Marsanyi, a senior product manager at Google, wrote in a blog post.
“When configured by your IT organisation on a fully managed device, the archival application is notified upon the receipt of each RCS message, not only when a message is sent or received, but also if a message is edited or deleted too.
“The archival app then reads the message data and makes it available to your IT organisation.”
The capability works with Google Pixel smartphones and other devices compatible with the Android Enterprise version of its mobile OS.
Google noted that it is also “backwards compatible with SMS and MMS messages”.
The tech giant added that the feature is meant to be transparent, allowing employees to see when it is being used through a notification.
It is aimed at employers that need to comply with legal discovery during lawsuits and responding to data requests like FOIA, though it may raise privacy concerns for workers who may have considered RCS messaging relatively private compared to work emails.
Other encrypted messaging apps used on a work device, such as WhatsApp or Telegram, will be unaffected by the Android update.
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