“We ensure that Jumpshot does not acquire personal identification information, including name, email address or contact details,” the statement said. In a statement, Avast said that it “acted quickly to meet browser store standards,” and in December completely discontinued the practice of using any data from the browser extensions for any other purpose than improving the core security engine.

“Last week, months after it was spotted using its browser extensions to send data to Jumpshot, Avast began asking its existing free antivirus consumers to opt-in to data collection, according to an internal document,” Motherboard wrote. That data is then passed along to Jumpshot, those sources said, and from there to its corporate clients.

But other sources alleged that it is instead collecting that same information from the Avast and AVG free antivirus programs. You can protect your Android mobile or tablet in real time against the latest types of malware, including new and rapidly growing threats like ransomware. In the report, Avast told Motherboard/PCMag earlier this week that data collected by the Avast browser extensions is no longer provided to Jumpshot. Avast Mobile Security for Android is one of the best free antivirus programs for Android users because it enhances your privacy and security with our cutting-edge cybersecurity protections and the world’s largest threat-detection network. (Avast acquired Jumpshot in 2013, and a statement on the company’s website says that it “provides insights into consumers’ online journeys by measuring every search, click and buy across 1,600 categories from more than 150 sites, including Amazon, Google, Netflix, and Walmart.”) At the time, the news caused browser makers like Google to remove both from its web store, though the extensions have since returned. Palant alleged that the information-which included a unique user ID, the page you visited, whether you’d visited that page before, and other information-could be provided to third parties, and suggested that Jumpshot could be a possible destination. The joint report by Vice’s Motherboard and PCMag had built upon reports by Adblock Plus creator Wladimir Palant, who reported in October, 2019 that the Avast Online Security Extension as well as the AVG Secure Browser spy on users, harvesting their information.

Avast’s statement also says that “all Avast products’ core functionality will continue to perform as usual and users will see no change.” It’s not clear, however, if this means that Avast will stop collecting personal information.

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