Avast Limited, $16,500,000
Avast, a popular antivirus vendor, sold consumers’ browsing data through its Jumpshot subsidiary without adequate notice or consent despite marketing its products as privacy-protecting.
Case identifiers
- Respondent
- Avast Limited (and Jumpshot, Inc., Avast Software s.r.o.)
- Agency
- Federal Trade Commission
- Announced
- 2024-02-22
- Monetary relief
- $16,500,000
- Case number
- FTC File No. 202-3033
- Statutes cited
- FTC Act § 5 (deceptive practices)
Key facts
- 1
Avast collected browsing data through its antivirus software and browser extensions from 2014 through 2020.
- 2
The data was sold to over 100 third parties through subsidiary Jumpshot, including major adtech, consulting, and investment firms.
- 3
Avast publicly represented its products would block online tracking, while simultaneously selling users’ granular browsing history.
- 4
The $16.5 million monetary relief was directed to affected consumers; the order bans Avast from selling browsing data for advertising purposes.
What the order requires
Injunctive terms imposed by the Federal Trade Commission. These bind Avast Limited's data practices going forward.
- Permanent ban on selling or licensing browsing data for advertising.
- Implementation of a comprehensive privacy program with biennial third-party assessments.
- Deletion of all web browsing data transferred to Jumpshot and data derived from it.
- Notification to consumers whose data was sold.
Primary sources
Read the original government documents. These are the authoritative records, everything on this page is derived from them.
Exercise your rights now
Generate a deletion request for $5
The FTC order binds Avast Limited's future practices, but doesn't automatically delete your existing data. State privacy law (CCPA, CPA, TDPSA, VCDPA) gives you that right. OfflistMe generates a compliant deletion email pre-addressed to Avast Limited's registered privacy contact.
Start for $5 →FAQ
What did the FTC charge Avast Limited with?+
Avast, a popular antivirus vendor, sold consumers’ browsing data through its Jumpshot subsidiary without adequate notice or consent despite marketing its products as privacy-protecting. The Federal Trade Commission cited FTC Act § 5 (deceptive practices).
How much did Avast Limited pay?+
Avast Limited paid $16,500,000 in monetary relief, announced on 2024-02-22. The settlement also imposed injunctive terms (see below).
Does the Avast Limited settlement mean my data has been deleted?+
The order requires Avast Limited to delete certain categories of consumer data (see injunctive terms). Individual consumers should still exercise state-law deletion rights (CCPA, CPA, TDPSA) to confirm deletion from any remaining successor databases.
How can I read the original FTC order?+
The Federal Trade Commission press release is available at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/ftc-order-will-ban-avast-selling-browsing-data-advertising-purposes-require-it-pay-165-million-over. The case / matter number is FTC File No. 202-3033.