In a landmark decision, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered Avast, a well-known antivirus software provider, to pay a hefty fine of $16.5 million. This action came after Avast was found to have sold users' browsing data despite promises of protecting their privacy from online tracking. Years ago, Avast pioneered a "free basic antivirus" model. Remember, "If the product is free - you are the product." In this case, Avast broke users' trust and sold data harvested from paying customers.
- Privacy Promise Broken: Avast claimed its products would shield users from third-party tracking. However, it did the opposite by collecting and selling their browsing information
- Sensitive Data Exposed: The data sold revealed personal details such as religious beliefs, health concerns, and political leanings, compromising user privacy
- FTC's Stance: The FTC has taken a strong position against Avast's deceptive practices, emphasizing consumer privacy protection
- Future Safeguards: Along with the fine, Avast is now banned from selling browsing data for advertising and must implement a comprehensive privacy program
This case should remind us of a power we frequently grant to vendors without second thought or consideration. Use it at your own risk:
- Many antivirus vendors offer full-suite protection. Anything outside of basic scanning of your local files for malware involves proxying and monitoring all the traffic between your computer and the Internet. This means websites you visit, user name and password you type, forms you complete, and data you upload. All would be a subject of inspection and, as this case demonstrates - abuse
- Any extensions you (download and) add to your browser have full access to every webpage you visit by default. Thus, it can send data about your habits and the sites you visit to the extension vendor. You can change it to allow "only for a specific site" or "on click. Go to "manage extension" and click on "details" to change
This case reminds us of the importance of digital privacy and the need for transparency in how companies handle user data.
#ALTACyber
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Genady Vishnevetsky
Chief Info Security Officer
Stewart Title Guaranty Company
Houston TX
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