Recently, we’ve become accustomed to hearing about many scandals related to user data. However, this time, the scandal came from an unexpected place. The Avast antivirus program, which has earned people’s trust for many years, committed a rare breach. Found by the United States Federal Trade Commission to have sold user data, Avast was fined a hefty $16.5 million. Many users were shocked by this situation, as an antivirus application claiming to protect their security engaged in such activities. Here are all the details…
Avast has officially sold user data!
Avast, accused of storing and selling the most important personal data of millions of users without their consent under the guise of security, is facing severe criticism. It has been revealed that one of the company’s subsidiaries, Jumpshot, has been selling a massive 8,000 terabytes of data collected since 2014 to various advertising companies. It is said that this data contains the most intimate personal information. If these allegations are true, the company could face even more trouble.
The United States Federal Trade Commission also recently uncovered that Avast was actively selling data until 2020. It is known that this data was sold to more than 100 companies for large sums of money. Despite pledging to protect its users from third parties as an antivirus firm, the company did the exact opposite. Following this incident, how users can trust the company again has become a subject of concern.
Mozilla had removed the application from the Firefox search engine in 2019 suspecting Avast’s activities. However, the company management stated in their statement that they do not agree with the court’s decision, but they will continue to do whatever is necessary for the security of users.
What do you think about this issue? What should Avast do next? You can easily share your answers with us in the comments section below. Your opinions are very valuable to us.
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