Avast to Pay $16.5 Million in FTC Settlement Over Privacy Violations
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a $16.5 million settlement with antivirus software provider Avast. The settlement addresses allegations that Avast misled consumers by collecting and selling their sensitive browsing data through its subsidiary, Jumpshot. What Happened? Avast, while marketing itself as a privacy-focused antivirus provider, reportedly collected users' detailed browsing information and sold it to over 100 third parties. The data included details related to: Health and medical searches Location history Financial and political information Online activity and behavior This behavior allegedly occurred between August 2014 and January 2020 . Who Is Eligible? Roughly 3.7 million consumers who purchased Avast antivirus products during that time period may be eligible for a refund. The FTC began sending email notifications with claim information between February 24 and March 7...