Avast Anti-Virus Sells User Data

Avast's popular antivirus, installed on nearly 435 million Windows, Mac, and mobile devices worldwide,collected user data using browser plugins and then sold it to third parties.

Avast's software provides a platform that allows the company to collect certain types of user data, which is then sold through a subsidiary of antivirus giant Jumpshot.The investigation revealed a massive leak of user data, contracts, and other documents sold by the firm. 

Data obtained during the investigation showed that the information collected by Avast includesGoogle searches, location searches, and GPS coordinates from Google Maps, LinkedIn pages, YouTube activity, and site visit data. 

The report claims that Jumpshot repackages customer information into several different packages.The company's customers pay millions of dollars to be able to track user behavior and their movement through websites. 

The list of clients includes many major firms such as Google, Yelp, Microsoft, McKinsey, Pepsi, Sephora, Home Depot, Condé Nast, Intuit, and many more. 

Selling data is one of the most lucrative businesses for Avast.According to Jumpshot reporting, one marketing firm paid more than $2 million for access to user data in 2019. 

The investigation also revealed that Avast is still collecting data, but using the most antivirus software, not browser plug-ins.