A new feature called Restricted Networking Mode has been discovered in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code for Android 12. This feature can restrict the use of third-party applications when enabled on devices.

With Android 11 currently rolling out to major phones running Google’s operating system, developers are expecting previews of the company’s next major OS update, Android 12, due in February. While they wait, some developers are continuing to dig through AOSP code entries.

This led to the discovery of Restricted Networking Mode, a system-level firewall that has caused some controversy within the Android community.

“Restricted Network Mode is a new firewall chain with a set of rules that the Android iptable utility follows when determining what network traffic to block or allow,” Chris Haulk, a consumer privacy expert at PixelPrivacy, explained in an email interview with Lifewire.