At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but lately I’ve noticed that whenever I look for porn, even if I’m just searching for it using Bing Videos, Avast! shows up a little pop-up add for their Secureline VPN, telling me about how I should use it to avoid being monitored.
I was wondering how /r/technology feels about this and whether you guys could recommend me a less intrusive, free antivirus program? I know about malwarebytes and using AdBlock (and I have both), but I was looking for something that can detect threats in real time.
Yeah Avast is becoming bloated, nagware. Avira and others are going down the same route.
You can use something like Bitdefender Free, which has a high detection rate, a simple GUI, and blocks bad URLs. You need to make an account though.
Or you can just go ahead and get Microsoft Security Essentials, and Malwarebytes (preferably Premium/Pro since it blocks malicious URLs and automatically detects malware on your computer). MSE is just a stock AV that only detects malware when you get them, and doesn’t come with a bunch of useless crap with it. MSE has lower detection rates than most other AVs so if you don’t encounter a lot of malware, MSE+Malwarebytes is a good combo. Don’t use it if you aren’t too technologically literate.
Actually, Avast have been upfront about (anonymously) tracking user activity from day 1. It’s always been in the fine print and on their blog. That said:
Security companies don’t run on pixie dust. The money has to come from somewhere.
What turned me off from Avast was not the tracking (everyone does that) but repeated really bad false positives, such as flagging Windows Update downloads and Firefox Nightly.
I’m pretty sure that it’s when you open an incognito window. Which I’d bet almost everyone does when finding porn. Avast! is saying ‘Hey, instead of browsing anonymously via incognito, just use our VPN service.’ Thinking you are trying to browse anonymously for security purposes, not to hide from your gf the fact you’re having a wank where she Skypes with her gram gram. I don’t think it has anything to do with what sites you visit or what you search but the fact you are browsing in incognito. Unless you are searching from your normal browser. But that’s just fucking weird.
I’m reminded of the line I heard: if you’re not paying for a service, you’re not the customer - you’re the product. In other words, the company is going to make money off you in some way like selling your personal information or advertising targeted to you like gmail.
Using Avast for 2 years I have never seen a pop up because I always have it on silent but does it only tell to get their vpn if your using their browser plugin.
Okay, so are they tracking what you’re doing or are they just looking at what cookies are on your computer. Turn off cookies and tell us if it still does it.
To be honest my advice to you is to just look into switching to Linux or BSD. In fact pcbsd would do you well. Set up your firewall and install claimtk on it.
I’m guessing OP is using the free version? I pay for Avast and I’m only nagged for upgrades when their is a version update. Other than that there are no pesky pop ups ever for the paid version.
It’s monitoring you to tell you how to avoid being monitored? Now that’s ironic. I’ve always used AVG Free for anti-virus and had no issue with it myself.
Are you using their on-demand scanning only or are you using their website monitoring component as well? If the latter, I’m sure buried in their agreements you’re allowing them full access to your browsing activity because they need it to do their job keeping you safe. However, there’s likely some clause in their EULA that allows them to collect that data and push ads for you somehow.
I noticed too and already uninstalled Avast because of this (and told them so, though I doubt it’ll matter). Gotta look into alternatives for Android too, because the trust is broken now. I can’t forgive that kind of shit from a company that’s supposed to be protecting my privacy.
