Skip to main content

Avg Browser Extensions Caught Spying on User’s Behavior

 AVG antivirus free version is the most popular software used by people to safeguard their safety against online threats. Users are asked to install some browser extensions when setting up the program on their computers. Recently, Mozilla has removed some browser extensions being offered by Avast and AVG antivirus programs. This was done as there were reports that these extensions were spying on the browsing behaviors of the customers and gathering this data. AVG customer care is not confirming these reports as of now.

The extensions that have been blamed for snooping on browsing history of users are AVG SafePrice, AVG Online Security, Avast SafePrice, and Avast Online Security. If you are not aware, Online Security extension claims to protect the user by disallowing visit to a malicious website. On the other hand, SafePrice browser extension says it works to apprise the user about websites where it can get higher discounts and better deals.

It appears that both these browser extensions are working in the interests of the users. However, the extensions of both AVG and Avast were found to be spying on the browsing habits of users and collecting this data. It was revealed by an independent developer called Wladimir Palant browser extensions of both AVG and Avast were collecting more data than they were supposed to be.

This researcher found that browser extensions named above were recording things like the country code of the user, his operating system, browser name and version, frequency of visit to the URL, and time spent on URL. It is clear that these extensions are trying to reconstruct the browsing history of the user which is not their purpose. Why should they know about the time spent on each URL, what apps do you click and where you move from these URLs is nto something that is required by the above mentioned browser extensions. Palant concluded that this entire enquiry by a browser extension is not usual and he smelled flu play on the part of the antivirus program. He wrote two blog posts to reveal the findings. However, when his findings were not taken seriously, he decided to contact Mozilla himself on 2 December to apprise them about the suspicious behavior of the browser extensions of Avast and AVG. All that AVG support center has said so far about this phenomenon is that they are working with Mozilla to get rid of the problem.

A spokesperson of AVG has sought to clarify the whole situation saying that its security extension is trying to protect users from malicious websites and also from phishing attacks. He said that collection of URL history from the user is a part of this exercise and there is nothing unusual about it. However, Mozilla has swiftly taken action and removed the above mentioned extensions from its ass-on repository. Surprisingly, all 4 extensions are still available on Chrome web store.

If you are facing AVG login issues or AVG Windows 10 update problem, you need to contact AVG customer care for the resolution of your issues.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Windows 10 Users Continue to Experience Various Kinds of Bsod Errors

 The dreaded blue screen of death is a problem faced by many Windows based computer owners. The   BSOD error   came into prominence with Windows 7 with users complaining a blue screen with an error message before their system automatically shuts down. Microsoft initially ignored the problem thinking it was a temporary error caused by faulty drivers downloaded by the customers. It was much later that Microsoft accepted this difficulty experienced by its customers and introduced security updates that solved the   blue screen Windows 7  error messages. By the time Microsoft launched Windows 10 operating system, the instances of the dreaded  BSOD Windows 10  had significantly reduced. However, these instances have started to increase in recent times ever since the company introduced two updates to its Windows 10 operating system. Fans of Windows operating system hoping better luck with the dreadful blue screen of death are now finding that their issues hav...
Post a Comment
Read more

Quickbooks Desktop is Moving Towards Higher Automation

 Intuit is a company that doesn’t want to sit upon its laurels. This is why it keeps improving its products every year. All products whether it is Quickbooks online, Quickbooks Desktop, or Quickbooks Pro get regular updates that are taking them towards higher levels of automation. According to  Quickbooks customer service , the main objective behind these updates is to make these products more efficient than before. With cloud hosting being the norm these days, there is no doubt that consumer loves this approach of the company. This approach also helps in increasing the revenues from the business. Here is how Quickbooks Desktop is inching towards higher automation. Speedier transfer of money Quickbooks desktop now comes with an inbuilt powerful feature of reminder emails for payments. As these are template based emails, it is possible to standardize them and use for different customers. This means you can now expect your accounting software to also work for increasing your re...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Login Paramount Plus?

  How to login Paramount Plus? We all are somewhere engaged with some work or another daily irrespective of the fact if we are the working person or the ones handling home chores. Coinb After having a tiring day, we expect some favorable changes that lighten up our headaches without even going out of our houses. Is this possible? Well, in the era of the internet, everything is possible with a single click only. Streaming platforms have become highly lovable not only among youngsters but have also grabbed the attention of adults. In other words, it has become a top pick among all age categories. If you have subscribed to an online OTT platform- Paramount+ and are wondering how to login Paramount Plus, then we are here to help you out. To get the answer walk through the complete read with us. A step-to-step guide for Paramount+ login Already signed up for the Paramount+? If you are already holding an account on Paramount+, and are looking for a straightforward guide to assist ...
Post a Comment
Read more