FTC Fines Avast $16.5 Million For Selling User Data

Cybersecurity firm Avast is facing a $16.5 million fine from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after being accused of selling consumer data to third parties, as reported by Jennifer Korn for CNN.

The FTC alleges that Avast has been collecting and selling user browsing data without their knowledge or consent, while also misleading users about their practices. I Photo: Avast Software Facebook

The FTC alleges that Avast, a company known for its promise to protect consumer data from online tracking, has been collecting and selling user browsing data without their knowledge or consent, while also misleading users about their practices.

Originating in the late 1980s in Czechoslovakia, Avast has since grown into a prominent cybersecurity company, now owned by Gen Digital, with headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, and Prague, Czech Republic.

The complaint asserts that Avast Limited, based in the UK, and its Czech subsidiary have been selling user data since at least 2014, despite claiming to block tracking cookies and prevent other trackers from following online activity.

Additionally, the FTC alleges that Avast misrepresented its data-sharing practices to users, claiming information would only be shared in "anonymous and aggregate form," which was not the case.

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