Free Version of Avast Reportedly Marketing User Data

Corrine · Jan 27, 2020

Although Avast implemented new security measures after Google and Mozilla removed temporarily removed the extensions, apparently that is not the end of the story. Numerous tech articles have been posted today reporting that the anonymized web history data can still be picked apart and then linked back to individual Avast users.

Some of the articles published today:

Avast antivirus is spying on you. Here's how - MSPoweruser
The Cost of Avast's Free Antivirus: Companies Can Spy on Your Clicks | PCMag
Avast sells search info, click data, and more to several giant corporations, including Microsoft | Windows Central
Leaked Documents Expose the Secretive Market for Your Web Browsing Data - VICE
Avast packaged detailed user data to be sold for millions of dollars | Engadget

Bottom line: If you use the free version of Avast, you may want to consider a different antivirus. (PC Mag has a collection of free A/V's here: The Best Free Antivirus Protection for 2020 | PCMag). For a licensed A/V, ESET remains a favorite.

Corrine · Jan 30, 2020

via Bleeping Computer Avast Shuts Down Jumpshot After Getting Caught Selling User's Data:

Protecting people is Avast’s top priority and must be embedded in everything we do in our business and in our products. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable.

For these reasons, I – together with our board of directors – have decided to terminate the Jumpshot data collection and wind down Jumpshot’s operations, with immediate effect.

Avast blog post: A Message From CEO Ondrej Vlcek | Avast

ssherjj · Jan 30, 2020

Corrine said:
via Bleeping Computer Avast Shuts Down Jumpshot After Getting Caught Selling User's Data:

Avast blog post: A Message From CEO Ondrej Vlcek | Avast

Very interesting read Corrine. Hopefully Avast can rebound and be trusted again?

britechguy · Feb 1, 2020

As has been said so many times over recent decades, "If you're not paying for the product, you are the product." Almost any free product comes with data mining attached to it, with a few notable exceptions.

There is no free lunch and third-party antivirus/security suites (whether free or paid) have become increasingly problematic with Windows over the last several years. With the monumental improvements in Windows Security (formerly known as Windows Defender) it's the only thing I recommend anymore.

See the most recent plus the last several years of historical test results from:

AV Test

AV Comparatives

SE Labs (Reports Page)

MRG Effitas (360 Protection Testing Category)

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Free Version of Avast Reportedly Marketing User Data

Corrine

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

Corrine

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

ssherjj

Sysnative Staff
Microsoft MVP
Contributor

britechguy

Well-known member

Free Version of Avast Reportedly Marketing User Data

Corrine

Administrator, Microsoft MVP, Security Analyst

Corrine

Administrator, Microsoft MVP, Security Analyst

ssherjj

Sysnative StaffMicrosoft MVPContributor

britechguy

Well-known member

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

Administrator,
Microsoft MVP,
Security Analyst

Sysnative Staff
Microsoft MVP
Contributor