Beware of what you’re opting into when installing free antivirus software - Avast is a name that inevitably comes up when discussing free antivirus software, and with good reason – the company claims it has over 435 million users. Avast’s reputation is under fire, however, following a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag into the extent it sells opt-in user data to third parties.
According to the reports, leaked documents highlight the “secretive sale” of internet browsing histories and activities to a subsidiary called Jumpshot. That information is then packaged and sold, with Google, Yelp, Microsoft, Pepsi, Home Depot, and others among some of the bigger past, present, and potential clients. In some cases, clients paid millions of dollars for an “all clicks feed,” which includes website tracking data, clicks, and detailed accounts of movement across sites, according to the report.
This only happens when users who install the free antivirus software opt into having their data collected. Motherboard says it viewed data that included Google searches, GPS coordinates, people visiting LinkedIn pages, YouTube histories, and porn site visits. (APC/MAR 2020 #478)
