Is Avast Safe Anymore? (Free Antivirus or Virus)
Avast antivirus claims to protect its customers, but what if they start to sell customers personal information to other companies?
Avast Software s.r.o., based in Prague, Czech Republic, is a global cybersecurity software corporation. It focuses on information security applications, machine learning, and artificial intelligence research and development.
The Avast Antivirus is the company's primary offering and software like the Avast Secure Browser and the Avast SecureLine VPN.
As of April 2020, Avast is the world's second-biggest anti-malware technology provider. Around 1,700 people work for the firm, which has over 435 million monthly active users.
Pavel Baudi and Eduard Kuera formed Avast in 1988. It started out as a cooperative, but it became a private corporation in 2010 and went public in May 2018.
Avast managed to acquire its arch-rival 'AVG Technologies' in July 2016, for $1.3 billion. AVG was the third-best antivirus program at that time.
Avast was selling your data!
There has been speculation that avast is selling the data of its consumers to third-party corporations. However, in early 2020, Avast was caught red-handed collecting browser logs and other personally identifiable information from its customers and selling it via a subsidiary company named Jumpshot.
The program tends to monitor users' clicks and actions around the internet, collecting information on the subject like Google searches and Google Maps visits, as well as personal LinkedIn accounts, YouTube videos, and pornographic websites.
The corporation then announced that the division that made it happen would be closing down. Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek announced that their subsidiary's data collection and activities would be terminated with immediate effect. There are no plans to move the company's "hundreds" of affected employees, implying that they will be laid off.
Avast Free Antivirus actually spyware.
Most notably, Avast Free Antivirus is one of the most widely used free antivirus programs available. It has a buddle of essential features that are intended to protect you from cyber-threats! Did you ever ask that a company like Avast would do anything like this for charity?
Obviously, Avast was cooperative at first, but that isn't the answer. The reason is that Avast free antivirus was nothing more than a trick, a form of spyware. They were using this app to gather your personal information and selling it for a fee. So, in fact, Avast free antivirus was profitable for them, and you were using it at the expense of your personal information!
Final thoughts
While Avast has claimed to have shut down its information-selling subsidiary, Jumpshot, it appears that the company is now secure. However, before they were discovered stealing user data, Avast always claimed that user data was protected with them. As a result, it has been shown that they do not follow through with their promises, and you can never believe someone who has already betrayed your trust.
My conclusion is that if you are willing to sell your personal information, you should use avast free antivirus software; you can avoid using any third-party free cybersecurity software if you are not.
Last but not least, the built-in Windows security system is much superior to all other free antivirus software. For me, relying on the built-in security package rather than a third-party free one is a wise decision.
What if you want to go for avast Premium Security?
Since you are paying for this app directly, I believe you can use avast premium protection without hesitation. It's unlikely that they'll use premium software to collect and sell your details.
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External Sources:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-cost-of-avasts-free-antivirus-companies-can-spy-on-your-clicks
https://www.cnet.com/news/antivirus-firm-avast-is-reportedly-selling-users-web-browsing-data/
https://press.avast.com/avast-to-commence-wind-down-of-subsidiary-jumpshot
