Avast caught selling browsing data
Dr. Martin Shelton
February 28, 2024
It’s the Digital Security Training team at Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), with security news that keeps you, your sources, and your devices safe. If someone has shared this newsletter with you, please subscribe here.
Aye hearties, gangway — the Avast cor-pirates are walking the plank.
That’s because the company sold user data without consumers’ knowledge, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which ordered U.K.-based Avast Limited to pay $16.5 million and will also bar the antivirus company from selling or licensing browser data for advertisements.
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Using browser extensions and its antivirus software, Avast’s subsidiary, Jumpshot, allegedly gathered “more than eight petabytes of browsing information dating back to 2014.” This potentially sensitive data included location, health information, financial status, and more.
According to BleepingComputer, a spokesperson says “the company has already reached a settlement with the FTC to resolve the investigation regarding the data shared with the Jumpshot subsidiary that was shut down in January 2020.” Read more.
We are always ready to assist journalists with digital security concerns. Reach out here, and stay safe and secure out there. Yo-ho-ho!
Best,
Martin