this post was submitted on 12 Mar 2024
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Avast fined $16.5 million for ‘privacy’ software that actually sold users’ browsing data (www.theverge.com)
submitted 8 months ago by wanderingmagus@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Avast, the cybersecurity software company, is facing a $16.5 million fine after it was caught storing and selling customer information without their consent. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the fine on Thursday and said that it’s banning Avast from selling user data for advertising purposes.

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[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 72 points 8 months ago

Five years ago, I posted on Reddit about how Avast had installed a browser without my consent and set it as default while I was out of town and away from my computer. That post has had comments added to it several times a year ever since, meaning that they're still trying that nonsense. They stole my data without my consent by importing all of my browser data, and now it's come out that they blatantly sold it without my consent as well.

I said it then, and I say it now: If you install something without my knowledge or consent, you're a virus, plain and simple.