February 22, 2024 at 03:09PM
The US government’s consumer protection agency is taking action against Avast for selling customer web browsing data. The Federal Trade Commission accused the company of collecting and selling data without consumer consent. Avast faces a $16.5 million fine and is ordered to stop selling browsing data. The data sold included sensitive information, and the company’s practices have been deemed deceptive and illegal.
The meeting notes outline the US government’s consumer protection agency’s plan to ban Avast, a security company, from selling customer web browsing data to third-party advertising companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accused Avast of collecting and selling consumer web browsing data without adequate notice and consent, and plans to impose a $16.5 million fine on the company. The complaint alleges that Avast deceived users by claiming to protect privacy but instead sold detailed, identifiable browsing data to over 100 third parties. The browsing data collected and resold included sensitive information such as religious beliefs, health concerns, political leanings, location, and financial status. Despite Avast’s claims of anonymizing the data, the FTC found that the company failed to sufficiently do so before selling the information. The meeting notes also reference related topics, including Norton’s takeover of Avast, the FTC’s order to Blackbaud, and flaws in Avast and AVG software that could lead to attacks on millions of devices.