<!--
.. title: nary a glance
.. slug: nary-a-glance
.. date: 2026-08-21 23:02:46 UTC-05:00
.. tags: malware
.. category: computer
.. description: In which I am mad at my telephone's manufacturer.
.. type: text
.. previewimage: assets/glance_malware.jpg
-->

![then the Glance
 overlay appears with headlines about death, war, shopping, or celebrity trivia.
 Screenshots show only black](assets/glance_overlay_zoom.png)
{class="img-right" style="border: thin solid lightgray"}

The "Glance" advertising tool for lockscreens on Motorola phones
crosses the line from "dark patterns" to "malware." Unacceptable.

I submitted a "policy violation" complaint in addition to this dumb
review, but I'm not optimistic.

<!-- TEASER_END -->

Here's the text of [the review](assets/glance_malware.jpg):

> Glance for Motorola  
> Rate this app  
> (one star)  
>
> This program repeatedly reasserts itself despite being supposedly
> disabled and supposedly uninstalled. The "opt-in" screen somehow
> bypasses the screen lock and can be accepted by accidentally touching
> the locked phone. When I unlock the phone, there is enough of a delay
> for me to interact with the screen, then the Glance overlay appears
> with headlines about death, war, shopping, or celebrity
> trivia. Screenshots show only black, which made debugging a chore. I
> assume it also spies on me.
>
> 491/500 characters
