New: leaked documents, data, contracts show how hugely popular antivirus Avast now harvests internet browsing data and sells it for millions of dollars. Clients included Home Depot, Google, Microsoft. Documents show a product called "All Clicks Feed"https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …
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In short, Avast collects the data by its antivirus product being installed on peoples' computers. It then provides that data to its subsidiary Jumpshot, which then sells products based on the data to clients https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/qKClRX1OKW
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We obtained information on past, current, and potential clients (such as those the company has had conversations with). They include huge consulting firms, tech giants, everyday brands, web services. There is a secretive business for selling browsing data https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/qhhTJIsyKl
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Before selling the data Jumpshot/Avast removes personal info like names. But multiple experts believe you could identify people inside it. The data itself is also highly sensitive, being able to see specific porn videos and searches people looked at https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/DCLEP0qbXB
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Was taken aback by the bluntness of Avast/Jumpshot's internal documents on its sale of users' browsing data. "The data set is almost like an Apache log for the entire Internet for every device in the panel." https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/fvwpR25q1S
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Here is the description of the All Clicks Feed from an internal document. Data taken from users of Avast antivirus, put into this product, and then data provided to clients in granular detail. "All Clicks Feeds will let you see all of the activity." https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/nl1LFi6djr
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And selling this browsing data is big business. A Jumpshot contract we obtained showed sales of browsing data for over $2,000,000 a year, to just one client. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/NAgJDq5gXi
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After being caught selling user data, Avast is currently getting its entire userbase to opt into the data collection. But multiple users I spoke to didn't even know Avast sells browsing data; suggesting its not really informed consent https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/h8ef60PF3o
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Statement from Senator Wyden, whose office has been engaging with Avast directly to get answers on why the company sells browsing data. Wyden concerned Avast has not committed to delete the browsing data it collected without consent https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/SXhb2otW87
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Avast said it is not possible to identify individual users from its sold browsing data. Some clients, like Home Depot, we spoke to said the same. Experts think otherwise though, especially when a client combines Avast data with their own https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/quCuXZUal8
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This piece on Avast browsing data selling was a collaboration between Motherboard and PCMag. In their own piece, PCMag goes more into how the data could be de-anonymized. The outlet has now also pulled Avast from its recommendations of free antivirus https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-cost-of-avasts-free-antivirus-companies-can-spy-on-your-clicks …pic.twitter.com/3uauOev24I
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This is the new opt-in message that should be popping up on more Avast antivirus users' screens soon. It arguably isn't clear on what Jumpshot really does with this data: collect browsing history which can see what site you were on at what time, sells it https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation …pic.twitter.com/caL71F9fJm
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New: in response to our investigation into Avast, Senator Mark Warner says the FTC is not doing enough on the sale of browsing data "No consumer would realistically have an inkling that their antivirus software could be selling their browsing data"https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7kzxzy/senator-mark-warner-ftc-not-doing-enough-on-browsing-data-avast-antivirus …
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Updated from FTC on Avast selling its antivirus users' browsing data: "We are very familiar with how these markets for data operate, and will not hesitate to take appropriate action as necessary where we find conduct that violates the laws we enforce." https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7kzxzy/senator-mark-warner-ftc-not-doing-enough-on-browsing-data-avast-antivirus …pic.twitter.com/Ex6qm4FsfN
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After our piece on Avast antivirus selling users’ data: Bernie Sanders Thinks Companies That Sell Your Browser History Are ‘Trampling Over the Rights of Consumers’https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/k7ezby/bernie-sanders-thinks-companies-that-sell-your-browser-history-are-trampling-over-the-rights-of-consumers-avast-antivirus …
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"We are continuing to explore further changes we can make to improve transparency and choice for users of our products and will provide further updates in due course."https://www.pcmag.com/news/avast-defends-data-harvesting-plans-to-get-users-to-agree-to-it …
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Update: Avast is stopping this data collection and closing its data selling company with immediate effect. Original investigation updated with this note https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wxejbb/avast-antivirus-is-shutting-down-jumpshot-data-collection-arm-effective-immediately …pic.twitter.com/SmwGi6IiQZ
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