The FTC claims that Avast sold privacy software but later sold users’ web browsing data.
The Federal Trade Commission has accused Avast of breaking its promise to protect internet users from third-party tracking by harvesting and selling their online browsing data.
The company behind antivirus software misled customers by assuring them of privacy protection, without disclosing their intention to gather and sell their “in-depth, identifiable browsing data,” as stated by the agency on Thursday.
According to Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, Avast made a promise to its users that its products would safeguard their browsing data and protect their privacy. However, they ended up doing the opposite by using bait-and-switch surveillance tactics, which not only compromised consumers’ privacy but also violated the law.
complaint.
The agency reported that the data, which was collected from users’ internet searches and website visits, revealed personal details such as their religious beliefs, health issues, political views, location, and financial situation. This information was then sold to over 100 third-party companies through a subsidiary of Avast called Jumpshot.
The Federal Trade Commission stated that Jumpshot entered into an agreement with Omnicom to supply the advertising company with an “All Clicks Feed” for half of its customers in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Canada, and Germany. As per the contract, Omnicom had permission to combine Avast’s data with data from other sources on a per-user basis, according to the agency.
According to the FTC, Avast has agreed to pay $16.5 million in restitution to consumers. As part of a potential agreement with the agency, the corporation and its affiliated entities will be prohibited from using or selling user browsing information for advertising reasons. Avast is a subsidiary of Gen Digital, a publicly traded corporation based in both Tempe, Arizona and Prague, Czech Republic.
Avast has accepted the agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to settle their investigation and has stated that they chose to shut down Jumpshot in January 2020.
“Despite our disagreement with the FTC’s claims and interpretation of the events, we are glad to reach a resolution and anticipate continuing our service to our millions of clients globally,” stated a representative from Gen Digital.
Kate Gibson
Source: cbsnews.com