Avast, the antivirus company which claims it has over 435+ million active users was found to be selling all your data to third party large companies like Google through its subsidiary Jumpshot as per the joint investigation by PCMag and Vice.
If you are using the Avast free antivirus, which was once believed to be the trusted and most effective antivirus made free then its time for you to look deep and take actions to safeguard your privacy.
A little bit history/ how it started..
Avast free antivirus and AVG installs an extension in the name of protecting you from third party harmful/malicious websites on most of your browsers, the thing that it will do is simple yet complicated work. It will interfere all the web traffic and will figure out whether the site the user(you) visiting is trust worthy or can it be allowed on the device by comparing previous reviews, behavior from various sources like avast servers on the internet. Once it was found to be trusted site or doesn't have any malicious content, then it will allow the user to visit/access the site, that's how an antivirus extension normally will work.
We thought someone/avast is always there for us! But we were wrong ! because, it didn't stop there. The avast and AVG extensions actually collected all your data instead of necessary ones and sent it to Avast servers for a different work as found by palant.de. This was then sold to third party companies with the help of Jumpshot per this new investigation.
Result ? all the Avast and AVG extensions were removed from the popular browsers like firefox and chrome temporarily !
And now..
As this was found out, and extensions were removed this Jumpshot, which has 100million+ users and Avast used a different approach. They are no longer installing extensions/collecting data through extensions, instead they are making users opt-in for data collection automatically which is a kind of collecting information with user's permission.
Though avast, says the information sent was anonymous and cannot be decoded/ traced back. Its actually possible to trace back to you, as per various experts.
A simple example : If you are accessing gmail, then what you will do? you will enter the username and password which are unique to you right? Sometimes, if you are accessing the gmail from a different device or from workplace, then you might have seen google saying "Help us identify whether its really you!" and it will ask you to verify mobile number or use any other verification" to prove its really you! How is this possible ? how do you think google knows you are accessing from different system? this is because their servers will analyse various things like whether the account is getting accessed from the same ip or device used earlier, before giving access to your email folder ! If it suspects something can go wrong, then it will ask for those verification's, else it will allow you to access. So by default, you need to know everything will be logged.
Likewise, Avast is logging your deviceid and its sending all your data which includes what is the term you searched on google/bing, at what time you thought of purchasing iPhone or PC, at what time you had clicked on the amazon link, how long you stayed on the webpage,etc things to its web server. Then jumpshot, will sell this data to third parties which will then use this data for understanding user behavior and for various purposes like to serve ads primarily.
Its just a simple one, there are many ways to identify its you who actually checked the information!
So, if you are the person whom has taken pledge " I won't read terms and conditions, i will directly click agree and continue option" like 5 out of 10 people in the world did then you don't need to worry about your privacy, Yes ! you don't need to worry. The reason for that is because all of your information might be already available with most of the companies in some form. Though its a fact at least, start following safe browsing habits, check what are the information they are collecting and start reading the terms and conditions before you click agree and continue everytime from now on and take control of your privacy.
We cannot directly blame those companies for selling our data ! We should blame ourselves! Do you think, a huge company be it be avast or any major company will provide services for free, without expecting nothing from us?, in the world were money decides your lifestyle ? then, think again!
Update : Avast ends JumpShot
If you are using the Avast free antivirus, which was once believed to be the trusted and most effective antivirus made free then its time for you to look deep and take actions to safeguard your privacy.
A little bit history/ how it started..
Avast free antivirus and AVG installs an extension in the name of protecting you from third party harmful/malicious websites on most of your browsers, the thing that it will do is simple yet complicated work. It will interfere all the web traffic and will figure out whether the site the user(you) visiting is trust worthy or can it be allowed on the device by comparing previous reviews, behavior from various sources like avast servers on the internet. Once it was found to be trusted site or doesn't have any malicious content, then it will allow the user to visit/access the site, that's how an antivirus extension normally will work.
We thought someone/avast is always there for us! But we were wrong ! because, it didn't stop there. The avast and AVG extensions actually collected all your data instead of necessary ones and sent it to Avast servers for a different work as found by palant.de. This was then sold to third party companies with the help of Jumpshot per this new investigation.
Result ? all the Avast and AVG extensions were removed from the popular browsers like firefox and chrome temporarily !
And now..
As this was found out, and extensions were removed this Jumpshot, which has 100million+ users and Avast used a different approach. They are no longer installing extensions/collecting data through extensions, instead they are making users opt-in for data collection automatically which is a kind of collecting information with user's permission.
"If you had seen Avast displaying Mind Sharing Some data with us ? and ignored the screen or clicked agree without reading! then you might have been victim already!"As the screen was designed to show what avast is doing and it had given you an option for to disable sending your data!"
Though avast, says the information sent was anonymous and cannot be decoded/ traced back. Its actually possible to trace back to you, as per various experts.
A simple example : If you are accessing gmail, then what you will do? you will enter the username and password which are unique to you right? Sometimes, if you are accessing the gmail from a different device or from workplace, then you might have seen google saying "Help us identify whether its really you!" and it will ask you to verify mobile number or use any other verification" to prove its really you! How is this possible ? how do you think google knows you are accessing from different system? this is because their servers will analyse various things like whether the account is getting accessed from the same ip or device used earlier, before giving access to your email folder ! If it suspects something can go wrong, then it will ask for those verification's, else it will allow you to access. So by default, you need to know everything will be logged.
Likewise, Avast is logging your deviceid and its sending all your data which includes what is the term you searched on google/bing, at what time you thought of purchasing iPhone or PC, at what time you had clicked on the amazon link, how long you stayed on the webpage,etc things to its web server. Then jumpshot, will sell this data to third parties which will then use this data for understanding user behavior and for various purposes like to serve ads primarily.
Its just a simple one, there are many ways to identify its you who actually checked the information!
So, if you are the person whom has taken pledge " I won't read terms and conditions, i will directly click agree and continue option" like 5 out of 10 people in the world did then you don't need to worry about your privacy, Yes ! you don't need to worry. The reason for that is because all of your information might be already available with most of the companies in some form. Though its a fact at least, start following safe browsing habits, check what are the information they are collecting and start reading the terms and conditions before you click agree and continue everytime from now on and take control of your privacy.
We cannot directly blame those companies for selling our data ! We should blame ourselves! Do you think, a huge company be it be avast or any major company will provide services for free, without expecting nothing from us?, in the world were money decides your lifestyle ? then, think again!
Update : Avast ends JumpShot
