Avast Anti Virus spied on and sold users entire browsing histories, down to individual clicks

1. 2020-01-27 at 9:47 PM UTC

   #1
   

   Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Dark Matter [my scoffingly uncritical tinning]

   Avast is harvesting users' browser histories on the pretext that the data has been 'de-identified,' thus protecting your privacy. But the data, which is being sold to third parties, can be linked back to people's real identities, exposing every click and search they've made.
   
   "The data is fully de-identified and aggregated and cannot be used to personally identify or target you," Avast told users, who opt in to the data sharing. In return, your privacy is preserved, Avast gets paid, and online marketers get a trove of "aggregate" consumer data to help them sell more products.
   
   There's just one problem: What should be a giant chunk of anonymized web history data can actually be picked apart and linked back to individual Avast users, according to a joint investigation by PCMag and Motherboard.

   https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-cost-of-avasts-free-antivirus-companies-can-spy-on-your-clicks
2. 2020-01-27 at 9:50 PM UTC

   #2
   

   Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Dark Matter [my scoffingly uncritical tinning]

   For instance, a single click can theoretically look like this:
   
   Device ID: abc123x Date: 2019/12/01 Hour Minute Second: 12:03:05 Domain: Amazon.com Product: Apple iPad Pro 10.5 - 2017 Model - 256GB, Rose Gold Behavior: Add to Cart
   
   At first glance, the click looks harmless. You can't pin it to an exact user. That is, unless you're Amazon.com, which could easily figure out which Amazon user bought an iPad Pro at 12:03:05 on Dec. 1, 2019. Suddenly, device ID: 123abcx is a known user. And whatever else Jumpshot has on 123abcx's activity—from other e-commerce purchases to Google searches—is no longer anonymous.

3. 2020-01-27 at 10:06 PM UTC

   #3
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   lol.
4. 2020-01-27 at 10:06 PM UTC

   #4
   The Self Taught Man Black Hole
   fucked up if true
5. 2020-01-27 at 10:07 PM UTC

   #5
   

   aldra JIDF Controlled Opposition
   it's hard to get mad or feel surprised at this though, considering a more extensive telemetry and tracking system is built into windows itself. if you have any concerns for privacy whatsoever your only real option is open source
6. 2020-01-27 at 10:10 PM UTC

   #6
   

   HTS highlight reel
   I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
   The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!

   • Misterigh
7. 2020-01-27 at 10:11 PM UTC

   #7
   

   the man who put it in my hood Black Hole
   LOL IMAGINE USING AVAST
   The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!

   • Misterigh