The trouble is that people don't care, I explained it to both AVG and Avast users, the response I got varied from disbelief to asking me where is my tinfoil-hat. Ignorance is bliss

That doesn't sound like they don't care as much as they don't believe you.

Which echoes the responses I get when I bring up these issues. I think lots of people find the concept so outrageous that they think it couldn't possibly be true.

I think it is not wanting to believe.

My friends family use Avast on all devices at home. It blocks ads and give parental control, also security from various viruses, phishing, malware... Data tracking is fine for them.

But... They pay around 35$/month for this.

To me, the browser/email signature bloatware was more offensive than selling my privacy.

Wow I have used AVG for like 13 years and never even heard these allegations before although I'm plenty online. I saw the AVG email signature and disabled the web/email part of AVG. I should have realized that a company which does that will do other underhanded acts.

I mean, it's standard practice for me to disable all the parts of the AV that are "let us infect^H^H^H^H^H^H protect your other programs" because, well, it's effectively infecting the other programs from their perspective.

I stopped using them and Avast about 15 years now. They started to get dodgy and Window defender was more than good enough.

> they sold your click data for every thing you clicked on and every site you went to

It’s like Batman said. You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Or you start as a villain and just play a hero until you get found out.

No shit moment right there. The second I saw they had their own toolbar I was 100% done, as it was totally, mind numbingly obvious they'd gone to the dark side. Anyone surprised by this is daft.

And Windows 11 took their place, waiting for the report in another 10 years...

I stopped using avast years ago when I first encountered the phrase: 'if it is free, then you are the product'.

Also, avast, avg, etc are just another source of vulnerabilities themselves.

Everyone really should be taught in school to ask: 'how do they profit off of me?'.

In security space companies can profit from selling corporate products backed by a threat-detecting network of free personal users. The sooner they can see new malware, the sooner they can make and distribute its signature, the safer it is for their corporate clients, so everyone wins.