FTC fines antivirus company Avast for selling customer data it promised to protect

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it has fined UK-based Avast PLC $16.5 million for selling customer data to third-party data brokers.

Avast, one of the world’s leading antivirus companies, advertised its product as a shield to prevent people’s browsing data from being collected and sold to brokers. But according to the FTC, it’s doing just that, calling it both “injurious” and “cynical.”

An FTC investigation found that from 2014 to 2020, people who used Avast antivirus software on their devices had their web browsing information secretly collected. This included information about location, financial status, religious beliefs, health status, and political views.

“Most consumers are aware that Avast software monitors everything they do on the Internet, that their browsing information is sold to over 100 third parties, and stored indefinitely in a detailed, re-identifiable format. “You don’t know that you could be exposed,” he said. FTC complaint.

According to the report, Avast stores that data “indefinitely” and lets customers block “unsolicited tracking cookies that collect data about your browsing activity” and “prevents anyone from accessing your computer.” It says it will “prevent people from searching” and “money from searches.” ”

Avast did just that when it acquired antivirus company Jumpshot in 2014 and rebranded it as an analytics company. Jumpshot provides “unique insights to make better business decisions” and helps customers understand where their viewers are going “before and after visiting your site or a competitor’s site.” I promised that I would be able to check it.

One of its marketing slogans is “Every search. Every click. Every purchase. Every site.” Avast antivirus software has 430 million customers worldwide, but Jumpshot claimed to have access to 100 million devices.

Avast shut down its collection division in 2020 following an investigation into its data privacy practices. Although the company said it always anonymized the data it sold, the FTC said it “failed to sufficiently anonymize consumer browsing information,” and that these packages contained “surprising information about individual consumers’ browsing habits.” “Details that should be made” are included, it added.

Avast said in a statement that while it disagrees with “the characterization of the allegations and facts,” it is “pleased to resolve this matter.”

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