Corrine Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 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. 2 1 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Not shocked. But then, nothing much surprises me these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 No big surprise. If you are not paying for it, you are the product. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 28 minutes ago, securitybreach said: If you are not paying for it, you are the product. Or you're stealing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 27, 2020 Share Posted January 27, 2020 Well yeah, that is just media though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corrine Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 via Bleeping Computer Avast Shuts Down Jumpshot After Getting Caught Selling User's Data: Quote 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 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 I still would not trust them at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrke Posted January 30, 2020 Share Posted January 30, 2020 If you absolutely can't afford to purchase security software, I'll agree that free is better than nothing, but if possible, I think it's much better to purchase a well-rated product (NOT Norton). 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 The av included with Windows 8.1 and above is good. Couple that with free Malwarebytes and your system should be okay provided you aren't click happy. Thankfully my husband is not click happy. It has been more than a decade, perhaps two since anything got on a computer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Or install Linux .... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 34 minutes ago, securitybreach said: Or install Linux .... Always one wiseguy in the bunch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 16 minutes ago, V.T. Eric Layton said: Always one wiseguy in the bunch. Hehe, well you know me... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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