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AVG Proudly Announces It Will Sell Your Browsing History To Online Advertisers
An anonymous reader writes: AVG, the Czech antivirus company, has announced a new privacy policy in which it boldly and openly admits it will collect user details and sell them to online advertisers for the purpose of continuing to fund its freemium-based products. This new privacy policy is slated to come into effect starting October 15. The policy says: We collect non-personal data to make money from our free offerings so we can keep them free, including: Advertising ID associated with your device; Browsing and search history, including meta data; Internet service provider or mobile network you use to connect to our products, and Information regarding other applications you may have on your device and how they are used.
Haven't used any of their products but it sounds to me that in this age of data breaches and privacy dwindling that people are not going to take kindly to this move. I think they'll see a huge drop-off in the use of their services.
There are only 10 kinds of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don't.
What's the best alternative right now for windows?
You are all products. Products get SOLD! SOLD! products SOLD! YOU PRODUCTS!!!
Mooo!
Left MS Windows for Linux Mint and never looked back!
Vote for Bernie in 2016!
i
127.0.0.1 avg.com
Problem solved. Can't sell what you don't have.
That's a trojan horse if I ever saw one, malware disguising as a well known antivirus.
This reminds me of what has happened with JetBrains, a Czech company who makes popular programming tools.
They recently announced some significant licensing changes that involved a subscription model. As any sane person would expect, the customers absolutely hated this decision. The uproar was significant, with an extreme level of dissent. Paying customers, many of them who had been customers for years and years, explained that they will move away from JetBrains' products immediately.
Given the extreme degree of public outrage regarding these completely unwanted licensing changes, JetBrains said they'd listen to the customer feedback.
In the end, JetBrains backpeddled somewhat and adjusted the licensing options. However, many customers are still unhappy, and severe damage has already been done. Lots of long time JetBrains customers are now suffering from the dreaded FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Because of this, many are still considering moving to alternate tools.
All it takes is one single change like this, doing something that the customers do not want, and everything goes to hell. Previously loved companies can become distrusted outcasts.
Mozilla could be considered an extreme case of this. Once considered among the most respected and beloved organizations, years of unwanted changes to Firefox have driven away many of Firefox's users (Firefox's market share across all platforms is likely in the single digits now). Users just don't like being treated poorly, especially if there are alternatives! Firefox's users got fed up with the constant and awful UI changes, so they moved to Chrome. Now Mozilla is facing irrelevancy, as they end up with fewer and fewer people using their software. It's a real shame, but that's what happens when you shit all over your users and customers!
At least they made the disclosure, which is a step in the correct direction for a consumer to make a choice.
while I might not like it, it's correct.
if you see me, smile and say hello.
At least you get something in return, you get an antivirus product free of charge.
With some competitors, you pay for the privilege to have your privacy sold off.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
When I clicked on the comment link for this article, AVG flagged slashdot for having a "trojan" on it, preventing me from even coming to the comments at all.
In my experience AVG is dreadful and only somewhat effective.
I used it for years when it was good, and then it started to want to do updates that never "took"...so it would try to do the update again, and again, and again. Sometimes it would start but not run or it would error out. Then it started displaying nag screens with ads for the "Pro" version.
I dumped it and moved to Comodo which seems less needy and doesn't pester me with ads.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
So. More ask Toolbar disguised as AVG Secure search...
In Soviet Russia, Trojan exploits YOU!
This is similar to a company selling both radar detectors to the public and radar systems to the police.
I stopped using AVG in favor of Avast probably 5 or 6 years ago, maybe longer now, I can't remember. The thing with AV is that you have to keep changing companies every 4 or 5 years because the awesome one goes from being free and relatively resource unintensive to being not free, a resource hog, and sometimes, as in the case of AVG, even sells your information to the people who are the source of most of the viruses.
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
They are honest about it.... take 5 points!
Selling out their users is the last gasp of companies about to go belly up. Can anyone suggest alternatives? Comodo? Microsoft Security Essentials? Anyone else? Pros and cons?
It's interesting watching so many software products (and OSes, etc) go through the same cycle. A new player comes on the scene and innovates or simply does things better than the competitors, they become popular and get a decent install base, they stagnate and / or bloat, their usefulness and effectiveness drops, and then often times they turn Evil as a last ditch effort is made to monetize what is left of their users.
I really liked AVG at one time. For me it was the free go-to antivirus product, and it really did a better job removing the malware of the day when it was at its peak (oh, around 8-10 years ago).
Better known as 318230.
It will not long so long, because the AVG software will flag it and it will delete itself.
You seem to be indicating that if you buy a copy they won't sell your info. The problem with this is that in general a company's privacy policy is applicable for all their products. That means if they decide to double dip, then you will be paying them and they will still be selling your information so they can make double the money for the product.
Just look at Windows 10. They are giving free updates for their win 7/8 customers, and people seem to believe it's free so they for some insane reason people don't seem to mind it invading their privacy. But it's a $200 program, and if you buy it for $200 MS isn't going to stop invading your privacy, they are going to take your paltry $200 and still sell your info to keep profiting off your info daily.
A timely PC MAG review rating many free anti-virus programs: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/...
Don't let the door hit your bum on the way out, AVG
I never installed the browser add-on component.
But I guess now I'll move to Comodo anyway, and hope that's better for a while
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
It's sad. There was a time, not SO many years ago, where I strongly recommended AVG to people as the lightest, least intrusive Antivirus solution for Windows. The decline makes me frown.
I have not used free AVG for a few years now. Not because of any concerns about privacy or function. But because AVG free became bloated and over bearing on what it does. I actually understand why they are doing this as many users nowadays are cheap and do not buy any kind of security software. All of these free solutions have some sort of data mining in order to justify free distribution and updates. People are dumb if they think this is not happening on every free app or program out there. Now if AVG was doing this on their payed version, then people have a right to be upset. But not on the free versions, and if they openly state this in the EULA then what is the big deal? Just don't use AVG free if you do not like the licensing agreement. People are such whiners anymore, they want free on their terms and nothing else. Just spend a few bucks get a paid version on a discount site somewhere and stop complaining that free means giving up something.
Gee, has nobody ever told you nothing is ever free.
Kudos to AVG for being honest enough to admit it in advance and gives its potentially paranoid customers a chance to opt out.
I wish more companies did this. It's a little slimy, but it's a lot LESS slimy when they don't try to hide it.
No, I'm not being sarcastic.
I switched to Avast a long time ago.
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
./ has neglected an even bigger elephant in the room: most modern AV products insert their own HTTPS certificate into the OS you're running for your "safety" and "protection".
In short they scan the traffic which wasn't meant to be scanned by third parties, thus AV vendors circumvent the vary basis of encryption.
Welcome to a brave new world. Then your PC hasn't really belonged to you since 2008 or something but no one cares anyway: http://libreboot.org/faq/#inte...
I wonder if there's anything left to buy nowadays which is yours truly and which doesn't spy on you or have a dozen of backdoors for NSA/CIA/M5/etc.
New AVG Privacy Policy -- "We collect non-personal data to make money from our free offerings so we can keep them free, including: Advertising ID associated with your device; Browsing and search history, including meta data; Internet service provider or mobile network you use to connect to our products, and Information regarding other applications you may have on your device and how they are used."
It's not personal. We don't identify you by name, we just follow you around and record every single thing you do, when you do it, where you do it, and if you've a webcam attached, we'll film you while you do it, then sell it to any and everyone who pays.
In other words, we're providing you a "free", self-defending keylogger.
If the perpetrators announced that they planned to hack Target and sell your credit card information, would you have shopped there, knowing what would happen? I wouldn't. Maybe you are that stupid, but I don't think most people are.
Ceasing to shop at Target AFTER the hack had already occurred would be closing the barn door after the horses has bolted. You'd only be hoping to indirectly influence management of other companies to hopefully increase the budget for security, which might reduce the risks of some breach somewhere. Switching from Target to Walmart after the news only increases your own risk, because Target's systems were swarmed with security experts from the FBI and private security companies - they got READ security conscious real quick.
Here AVG is announcing ahead of time, "if you use our product we WILL release your information." You can choose now to not have your information released by not using their product.
Ignorant
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion. -- Spazmania (174582)
Well would you look at that: http://i.imgur.com/YsNjWCc.png
Thanks for protecting me AVG. /sarcasm
What do you get when you cross a mountain-climber with a mosquito? Nothing! You can't cross a scaler with a vector.
So I went into the AVG control center, turned link scanner off, reloaded the page, and now it's letting me read it.
I don't need their stinking product on Linux.
Seriously I stopped using AVG like 9 years ago when they started dicking around caching web pages and sticking their nose where they didn't belong.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Online ad revenue, the con of the century:
https://moz.com/blog/online-advertising-fraud
I hope the other antivirus softwares detect AVG as malware.
Their data collection will include doccuments read during scans or returning some of the images on your computer ? Sounds like the next step.
thanks needed a good laugh apple os you say the one that hackers target cause the rich use it ...no thanks...
yeah pretty much
Ya thats a fair comparison cause because box stores have so may competitors near by vs software is all in the same location right in front of you.
Way to destroy your brand. It will be amusing to watch other virus and malware scanner pushing updated definitions to detect and remove AVG.
At the risk of getting flamed, at least they disclose and are up front about it. I can guarantee you that lots of companies are selling your personal data... ermmm.. I mean "anonymous marketing information" without telling you about it. To me that's infinitely worse. While I don't like AVG's actions, at least they have the decency to tell you about their policies in direct terms.
Remember, when they give you the software for free, you're not the customer. You're the product.
if there's gonna be a sufficient boycott and shitstorm regardind this ass move.
AVG customers proudly ditch the product.
What are the Best freemium alternatives, or should i just keep avg?
I get no malware of any kind -> APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit http://start64.com/index.php?o...
FREE & adds speed, security, + reliability, doing more with less, more efficiently vs. browser addons & locally installed DNS servers @ home + fixes DNS' redirect security issues - obtaining its data vs. online threats & adbanner blocking from 10 reputable sites in the security community - using something you already have vs. "bolting on browser addons 'MOAR' that's usermode slower & increases messagepassing, cpu + ram overuse overheads & actually SPEEDS YOU UP 2 ways (adblocking + locally cached in RAM favorites placed @ the TOP of hosts for fastest resolution speed), whereas by way of comparison, other "so-called security 'solutions'" SLOW YOU DOWN!
* :)
MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus per this VERY recent testing of them all http://www.av-test.org/en/news...
&
It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
+
In its 32-bit model also https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
---
"The premise is quite simple: Take something designed by nature & reprogram it to make it work for the body rather than against it..." - Dr. Alice Krippen: "I am legend"...
APK
P.S.=> By "yours truly" - "The Lord of Hosts" so-to-speak:
PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
"The image this title brings to mind is of a mighty military commander, one who can at a mere word summon rank upon rank of protective power" from https://answers.yahoo.com/ques... & THAT WORD = hosts!
(Accept NO substitutes!)
...apk
If the perpetrators announced that they planned to hack Target and sell your credit card information, would you have shopped there, knowing what would happen? I wouldn't.
Wouldn't have stopped me one bit. I don't use credit cards at Target.
security experts from the FBI
That almost guarantees that there are now more back doors and surveillance crap in their system than you could possible imagine. And at this point I'm not sure if I'm being satirical or not.
See subject: I never get malware -> APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-2 32/64-bit http://start64.com/index.php?o...
FREE & adds speed, security, + reliability, doing more with less, more efficiently vs. browser addons & locally installed DNS servers @ home + fixes DNS' redirect security issues - obtaining its data vs. online threats & adbanner blocking from 10 reputable sites in the security community - using something you already have vs. "bolting on browser addons 'MOAR' that's usermode slower & increases messagepassing, cpu + ram overuse overheads & actually SPEEDS YOU UP 2 ways (adblocking + locally cached in RAM favorites placed @ the TOP of hosts for fastest resolution speed), whereas by way of comparison, other "so-called security 'solutions'" SLOW YOU DOWN!
* :)
MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee) hosts & recommends it -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus per this VERY recent testing of them all http://www.av-test.org/en/news...
&
It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
+
In its 32-bit model also https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
---
"The premise is quite simple: Take something designed by nature & reprogram it to make it work for the body rather than against it..." - Dr. Alice Krippen: "I am legend"...
APK
P.S.=> By "yours truly" - "The Lord of Hosts" so-to-speak:
PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
"The image this title brings to mind is of a mighty military commander, one who can at a mere word summon rank upon rank of protective power" from https://answers.yahoo.com/ques... & THAT WORD = hosts!
(Accept NO substitutes!)
...apk
So... did the NSA hire AVG to give them a more comprehensive take on our data?
Or, if you're in Iran, will AVG be reporting your activities to Tehran for a subsidy?
And will this clash with Windows 10's keylogger and get BSODs?
Malwarebytes's Anti-Malware. Hands down.
Oh wait, I can just use Linux with clam av instead. I was already planning on jumping on the dump windows train, no time like the present.
"uBlock is using 33MB of RAM" - by andymadigan (792996) on Friday June 12, 2015 @10:31PM (#49902053)
Inefficient: Hosts @ 3-11mb w/ current data & does things adblock variants can't & U RAN FROM IT http://apple.slashdot.org/comm... ).
UBlock uses 63++ MB & AdBlock = 128mb++ -> http://www.ghacks.net/2014/06/...
SCREENSHOT -> http://cdn.ghacks.net/wp-conte...
BEST UBlock's done = 38mb/ABP = 64mb -> http://www.extremetech.com/wp-... From http://www.extremetech.com/wp-...
* See 'p.s.' below - Says all (& I didn't do the saying!)
---
"which blocks more ads? Answer: uBlock/Adblock" by andymadigan (792996) on Sunday June 14, 2015 @12:04AM (#49907001)
WRONG - "Almost ALL Ads Blocked"'s PAID NOT TO by default-> http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/...
&
ABP too http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...
UBlock/Adblock = far less efficient on CPU & RAM (added messagepassing, SLOW usermode vs. hosts in kernelmode) & NEITHER does a fraction of what hosts do in more speed, security, reliability, & anonymity.
---
"your system blocks fewer ads" by andymadigan (792996) on Sunday June 14, 2015 @12:04AM (#49907001)
See above: + hosts do MORE w/ less via 1st link above!
---
"I'm more than happy to spend an extra 1% of my computer's power to block far more ads than your shitty idea" by andymadigan (792996) on Sunday June 14, 2015 @12:04AM (#49907001)
You're 'happy' being illogical & stupid?
AdBlock's 4++gb & 100% CPU use inefficiency -> https://blog.mozilla.org/nneth...
+
ClarityRay defeats it & NOT hosts (clarityray BLOCKS addons via native browser methods).
---
YOU started it -> http://apple.slashdot.org/comm... & here too http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
I finished YOU WITH IT all above!
APK
P.S.=> Howard Stark in "Capt. America" - hosts (Cap's Shield) vs. AdBlock & variants (steel):
"It's stronger than steel & 1/3rd the weight"
So
"Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" & "eat your words"
... apk
"Chrome has thankfully started warning users who try to download it." - by andymadigan (792996) on Sunday June 14, 2015 @03:48PM (#49909947)
Google can try explaining it vs. proof my ware's CLEAN:
MalwareBytes' hpHosts Admin (MalwareBytes employee who also has the source & verified it safe too) hosts & recommends it -> http://hosts-file.net/?s=Downl... & MalwareBytes = BEST antivirus per this VERY recent testing of them all http://www.av-test.org/en/news...
&
It's GUARANTEED safe & clean per it being checked by 57 antivirus programs recently in BOTH its 64-bit model https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
+
In its 32-bit model also https://www.virustotal.com/en/...
* :)
In case you hadn't noticed it, like when you made your PUNY THREATS effetely *trying* to "blackmail me" on Hilton Hotels here http://slashdot.org/comments.p... ?
(which I could give 2 fucks about, I made the money already on a successfully done large scale project with them on contract)
I SMOKED YOU TOTALLY @ EVERY TURN, & who started it twice here http://slashdot.org/comments.p... AND HERE TOO http://apple.slashdot.org/comm... saying "I should die painfully" etc. - et al?
You failed badly on all accounts.
APK
P.S.=> Especially funny is that you work for CLOUDWORDS (an advertiser affiliate of Marketo) which tips your hand & PROVED YOUR ILL MOTIVES for your stupidity, running away from this most of all -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
... apk