#WHAT IS SECURELINE VPN AVAST SOFTWARE#
#WHAT IS SECURELINE VPN AVAST PC#
#WHAT IS SECURELINE VPN AVAST FREE#

At the same time, we completely discontinued the practice of using any data from the browser extensions for any other purpose than the core security engine, including sharing with our subsidiary Jumpshot. “In December 2019, we acted quickly to meet browser store standards and are now compliant with browser extension requirements for our online security extensions. It told us that no data is ever taken from Secureline. Update: We reached out to Avast and asked for confirmation as to whether Secureline users were having their data collected. VPN products live and die by their ability to provide protection and privacy to paying customers, so it would be something of a misfire on Avast's part to risk this relationship through data collection.

#WHAT IS SECURELINE VPN AVAST SOFTWARE#

All the information available has shown that while the browser plug-in and antivirus software have been used to collect information, nothing points to Secureline being included in this list. Secureline customers are no doubt concerned about the news of Avast collecting information, but we have seen no indication that the company is adopting the same practice with Secureline.

#WHAT IS SECURELINE VPN AVAST FREE#

It's a practice we've seen in free VPNs, but as Secureline is a paid-for product, users wouldn't expect to have their information recorded. Many VPN users would be horrified of the thought of their data being collected in some way. It promises – as all VPNs do – to keep your data private and hide your identity online. Is it Safe to Use Avast Secureline?Īvast Secureline is a VPN product from the same company.

The data shows GPS locations, viewed YouTube videos, and even search terms entered on porn sites.

#WHAT IS SECURELINE VPN AVAST PC#

According the leaked documents obtained by Motherboard and PC Mag, this data includes information such as the URLs visited by device, plus when and where the browsing happened. While Avast has stated that it has stopped data collection via its browser plug-ins, it is still gathering information from the free version of its antivirus software, via an opt-in option. Google, Mozilla and Opera all took the decision to remove the problematic plug-in from their stores. A number of browsers removed the Avast plug-in from their services after news of the data collection started to filter through last October. While Avast claims that it has always been open with its users about the data collected – and offered opt-outs for that that didn't want their data harvested – it certainly ran into problems with major browser operators. Nothing can be used to identify or target individuals.” Using Jumpshot’s patent-pending algorithm, all of the personally identifiable information is removed from the data before it leaves Avast servers. “We provide Jumpshot with anonymized and aggregated data that we collect from scanning the 150 billion URLs our users visit each month. In a 2015 post on its site, Avast explained how the collected data is used and personal data removed: The information – which Avast maintains is anonymous – has been harvested and repacked for a subsidiary, Jumpshot, which it obtained in 2013. These show that Avast has been selling its users' data to high profile customers, such as Google, Yelp and Pepsi. The investigation, a joint probe by Motherboard and PC Mag, focused on leaks that the publications have obtained.

Unsure about Avast Secureline? See our guide to the Best VPNs for 2020 Avast Selling User Data via Jumpshot The news came just weeks after it had stopped collecting information from its browser plug-in.Īvast has told us that is hasn't been harvesting information from its Secureline VPN product, although privacy-conscious Avast users are bound to feel cautious after this latest news.Īvast isn't alone in selling user data, but its methods are under scrutiny after this latest investigation. This week, an investigation by Motherboard and PC Mag revealed that security brand Avast was using its antivirus software to collect personal user data.

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