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A company that promised users its products would protect the privacy of their browsing data delivered the exact opposite—and sold the personal data of their unsuspecting customers to advertisers.
Antivirus software company Avast claimed its products would prevent its users from online tracking and would protect user privacy. However, a recent announcement by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests they were doing otherwise.
The FTC’s announcement stated that it will ban Avast from selling consumers’ web browsing data to advertisers, following a joint investigation by Vice News and PCMag in January 2020 that revealed Avast’s subsidiary Jumpshot was selling highly sensitive web browsing data to companies.
The FTC said Avast collected customers’ online browsing habits for years, including their web searches and which websites they visited, using Avast’s own browser extensions, which the antivirus company claimed would “shield your privacy” by blocking online tracking cookies.
But the FTC alleged that Avast sold consumers’ browsing data through subsidiary Jumpshot to more than a hundred other companies, making Avast tens of millions of dollars in revenue.
The browsing data that Jumpshot sold reportedly identified consumers’ religious beliefs, health concerns, political leanings, their location, and other sensitive information.
Avast also settled the federal regulator’s charges for $16.5 million, which the FTC said will provide redress for Avast’s users whose sensitive browsing data was improperly sold on to ad giants and data brokers.
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Avast sold data privacy services, then sold that very data to advertisers. They duped consumers into paying for online security, then committed the very data breaches they claimed to be protecting users against. This betrayal of trust wasn’t just shifty—it was illegal.
If you used any of Avast’s products, including its antivirus software, VPNs, the Avast web browser, or Avast One, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages.
At Morgan & Morgan, we take your privacy seriously, and we fight for victims who have been compromised for profit. For over 35 years, our personal injury law firm has fought For the People and has recovered over $20 billion for clients across the country. And with offices in every state, we may have an attorney near you.
These sorts of cases can be complicated, and many corrupt corporations have substantial legal defense teams to keep them from accountability. The good news, however, is that you don’t have to face these kinds of injustice alone.
Reach out and seek help from our complex litigation data privacy attorneys. Hiring one of our lawyers is easy, and you can start now with a free, no-obligation case evaluation.