Avast Collected and Sold Users' Web Browsing Data: Report
Popular anti-virus software Avast is at present in the crosshairs for reportedly collecting and selling user web browsing data to companies like Google, Microsoft, and others. The report comes from a joint investigation conducted past Motherboard and PCMag, which investigated leaked documents from Avast subsidiary Jumpshot.
Co-ordinate to the investigation the Avast antivirus plan, once installed on a user's computer, would collect information most the user'southward web browsing activities. Jumpshot would then repackage that information and sell it to companies offering to pay for access.
The report besides includes mention of an "All Clicks Feed" product that allegedly tracked user behaviour, clicks, and movements across websites in detail. Companies would reportedly pay millions of dollars for this incredibly detailed data. Motherboard and PCMag study that ane marketing business firm paid over $2 million for data access final year.
Further, the report alleges that Avast, in many instances, would likewise collect information about a user'due south admission to porn websites, and offered information including the date and fourth dimension of the visit, search terms used, and, in some cases, even the videos watched by the user.
In a statement, Avast said that it has stopped providing browsing data collected by extensions to Jumpshot. Withal, the report claims that the company is still collecting data via the anti-virus software itself, fifty-fifty though it has stopped collecting such information through its extensions.
The report highlights that multiple Avast users were not aware about this data collection practise, raising questions about how (if at all) the company gathers informed consent from the user earlier collecting browsing data, and in many cases, incredibly detailed information about the user'due south browsing habits.
Source: https://beebom.com/avast-selling-user-web-browsing-data/
Posted by: rankinsnichat.blogspot.com
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