Google Messages simply received a function your boss will love (and you will not)

Over time, Google has constantly improved Google Messages, together with updates to group chats, spam protection, and different RCS options, making it extra aggressive with standard messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. Nevertheless, its newest replace would possibly increase some eyebrows, particularly when you’ve got a Pixel machine for work.

In a latest blog post, Google introduced that it is rolling out a brand new “RCS message archival” functionality on company-owned Pixel gadgets for Google Messages, which may observe RCS messages which might be despatched, obtained, edited, or deleted on a Pixel cellphone that’s “totally managed” by an organization (by way of Android Central).

Primarily, this implies somebody like your boss or an IT admin might see any messages you ship in your company-owned Pixel. So when you weren’t already cautious about each message you ship at work, this would possibly make you much more.

Once more, it is value stressing that is only for company-owned Pixel gadgets, so when you’ve got a Pixel smartphone that you just purchased your self for private use, which is the overwhelming majority of individuals, this would possibly not have an effect on you in anyway, and no person might be randomly snooping in your messages.

Google is doing this for regulatory functions

Many companies have to archive messages to adjust to authorities rules

Should you’re questioning why Google is taking this step, it isn’t about serving to employers spy on staff — it is about serving to corporations adjust to authorities rules. These guidelines require some corporations to archive enterprise messages for potential future wants, comparable to lawsuits.

Google Messages makes use of RCS (Wealthy Communication Companies), an end-to-end encrypted messaging protocol, which makes it tough for companies to fulfill these compliance necessities. Beforehand, corporations relied on carrier-level logging for archiving SMS messages, however with RCS now commonplace, encryption prevents provider logs from capturing the required info. To deal with this, Google has launched RCS message archiving, permitting companies to protect the messaging information they want.

“When configured by your IT group on a completely managed machine, the archival utility is notified upon the receipt of every RCS message, not solely when a message is distributed or obtained, but additionally if a message is edited or deleted too,” Google defined in a blog post. “The archival app then reads the message knowledge and makes it obtainable to your IT group.”

Google stresses that your complete message archival course of occurs on the “machine itself” and that it isn’t shared with Google or saved anyplace on the web. Which means that the messages can stay end-to-end encrypted, whereas nonetheless “assembly stringent regulatory necessities.”

For workers who use a company-owned Pixel machine for work, RCS message archival is not enabled by default; it should be manually enabled by an IT administrator. If it does get turned on, you will see a notification once you open Google Messages that message archival is operating.

General, when you solely have a private Pixel machine, there’s nothing to fret about right here. Nevertheless, if it is a work machine, you need to be cautious with each message you ship — although you are most likely already doing that. Let’s be actual: if you wish to roast your boss or your work, it is all the time higher to do it in your private cellphone anyway, not a piece machine, no matter this being added.