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AVG - going from Anti Virus software towards Spyware

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/avg-going-from-anti-virus-software-towards-spyware.html (http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/avg-going-from-anti-virus-software-towards-spyware.html)

In case you have AVG installed, you will notice that, starting October the 15th, you'll get a popup indicating that AVG anti-virus software now collects and sells browser and search history data and well, what not? Also getting tired of all the companies tracking you and selling your data these days?

Security firm AVG can sell search and browser history data to advertisers in order to "make money" from its free antivirus software, a change to its privacy policy has confirmed. Under the heading "What do you collect that cannot identify me?" the policy reads:

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.

Sometimes browsing history or search history contains terms that might identify you. If we become aware that part of your browsing history might identify you, we will treat that portion of your history as personal data, and will anonymize this information.

The updated policy explained that AVG was allowed to collect "non-personal data", which could then be sold to third parties. The new privacy policy comes into effect on 15 October, but AVG explained that the ability to collect search history data had also been included in previous privacy policies, albeit with different wording.

AVG's potential ability to collect and sell browser and search history data placed the company "squarely into the category of spyware", according to Alexander Hanff security expert and chief executive of Think Privacy. "Antivirus software runs on our devices with elevated privileges so it can detect and block malware, adware, spyware and other threats,". "It is utterly unethical to [the] highest degree and a complete and total abuse of the trust we give our security software." Hanff urged people using AVG's free antivirus to "immediately uninstall the product and find an alternative".

Previous versions of AVG's privacy policy stated it could collect data on "the words you search", but didn't make it clear that browser history data could also be collected and sold to third parties. In a statement AVG said it had updated its privacy policy to be more transparent about how it could collect and use customer data.

Source: Guru3D (http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/avg-going-from-anti-virus-software-towards-spyware.html)

I'm not using any anti virus since 2 years ago. Most antivirus fail. Currently I'm using deepfreeze. It's more effective than anti virus.

WTF ??
how are you using your pc ?
you need to download things, edit things, etc...

Common sense is more important than anti-virus nowadays. The one that comes with Microsoft since windows 8 is all you need. I sandbox questionable software until I feel it's safe enough to install on my real system.

If you need to trust some antivirus POS to keep your computer safe than you probably shouldn't be using a computer to begin with.

Thanks for the info. Deepfreeze is a new one to me, checking it out right now. Shame it costs $45 though but I like the approach. Free Zonealarm used with Malwarebytes + Anti-Exploit has kept me problem free so far.

That antivirus never worked for me.

 ;D for what antivirus its make your pc lag

well codishmumu consider that even if for you never worked i found it on all the pc on my schools even if only once has found a virus some random guy/teacher put on the internal network and only the next year it worked removing the exaxt same virus from an usb owned from a teacher

p.s. the most funny fact is that the teacher who got her usb drive infected doesn't know where exactly she got the virus (i had even to help her with the antivirus and restoring the files but still somehow it appeared back xd)

I never liked AVG, I use to have it on my previous pc but it lagged the hell out of it so I removed it and never got it again.

I bought Kaspersky code for my 6 pcs/ year. The price was very cheap (about 5$/pc) Happy with it now

Yup me too dont like it but this the internet world so doesnt matter. If you dont do iligal things.

thanks for the info man. I don't use AVG anymore, we couldn't work it out together  :-\

I don't use an antivirus it just using space on my computer, and doing nothing. The full antivirus programs are too expensive for me, so i just use my computer without one, and i install new windows every 6 months. This way i am not dealing with some antivirus program and i refresh my computer by deleting all the old stuff i do not need. :)))

I don't use any antivirus program at all. I'm smart enough about what I do on the internet, and if necessary I can check programs myself.