22 February 2024
WASHINGTON (KSNW) — The Federal Trade Commission has reached a $16.5 million settlement with an antivirus software company.
The FTC says Avast, which offers antivirus, browser extensions, and Virtual Private Network software, has collected customer data for at least 10 years. The data includes information that includes location, financial status, religious and political beliefs, and health concerns.
They then sold that information to third parties through a subsidiary called Jumpstart, Inc. According to the company’s LinkedIn profile, they were a marketing research company that delivered “digital intelligence from within the Internet’s most valuable walled gardens.”
Customers were not notified that their information was being collected and sold to third parties. The company was shut down by Avast in 2020.
As part of the settlement, the company can no longer misrepresent how it uses the data it collects. They must also pay $16.5 million in compensation to customers.
The FTC says details on how customers will be compensated is still being finalized and when complete will be posted on their website.