FTC bans antivirus giant Avast from selling its users' browsing data to advertisers | TechCrunch
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Avast closed its Jumpshot subsidiary in 2020 after the antivirus giant was caught selling the browsing activity of millions of its customers.
  • @[email protected]
    32•9 months ago

    I’m shocked that the “antimalware software” is actually stealing user data and wasting a bunch of CPU cycles. Who could have ever imagined that?

    • @WhatAmLemmy
      30•9 months ago

      The corporation made TENS of millions from lying to customers, stealing their data, then selling it — they were fined $18 million… This is better than nothing, but still complete dogshit.

      Would you consider fining a car thief a fraction of the value of the car they stole justice? No! Because that would be a sick fucking joke!

      The corporation should be fined 10x the revenue of the crime, and the leadership who signed off on this should be criminally prosecuted, personally fined a percentage of their wealth, and imprisoned.

      Corporate criminals should be treated like actual criminals.

      • @[email protected]OP
        2•9 months ago

        gen digital owns avast. and the fraudulent subsidiary was closed before the avast-norton merger,

        • @WhatAmLemmy
          5•9 months ago

          So? That doesn’t absolve any of the former decision makers of their crimes. This is the kind of mentality that both enables and facilitates corporate criminals and corruption.

          If you purchase a stolen car you don’t get to keep it if the crime is uncovered or the real owners are found. When you purchase a company you purchase its liabilities. If those liabilities/crimes were not disclosed, then you have a case for rescinding the purchase and prosecuting the former company/owners/investors for additional damages.

  • @[email protected]
    8•9 months ago

    great. what is the FTCs justification for this? did they ban them doing it outright, or is it just that they didn’t make it clear enough? will this apply to other companies? so many questions.