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During part of 2019, Avast Software provided Jumpshot with some data on approximately 100 million users that was not anonymized, according to the Privacy Office. The ÚOOÚ stated this in a press release today. The fine is final.
List of Messages previously reported that the Office for the Protection of Personal Data was investigating the actions of Avast – or rather its successor company Gen Digital – precisely because of the indirect sale of personal data through the Jumpshot subsidiary.
Avast antivirus users were wrongly informed by the company about the transmission of anonymous data for trend analysis. “Although Avast stated that it used robust anonymization techniques, it was proven in the proceedings that the transmitted data from individual antivirus software installations was not anonymized, as at least part of the data subjects could be re-identified even on the basis of the transmitted data,” the office said.
According to ÚOOÚ, the data processed and offered by Jumpshot should contain, for example, information about searched websites, installed applications or saved files. Data was collected from all device types with Avast antivirus software installed running on Windows, Apple Mac and Android.
In February, the company was fined $16.5 million in the US. The Federal Trade Commission also accused it of collecting and selling consumer information for advertising purposes.
At the end of 2022, the Czech Avast merged with the American NortonLifeLock, and the new Internet giant was named Gen. The $8.6 billion deal created a business with more than half a billion users.