Avast Agrees to $16 Million Deal Over FTC Data-Selling Claim (1)

Avast, a software seller that promised to protect consumers from third-party tracking, used its products to collect and sell their data to more than 100 third parties, the US Federal Trade Commission alleged in a Thursday complaint.

The consumer protection agency and Avast reached a $16.5 million settlement as part of a proposed order that prohibits the company from selling browser data and requires it to implement new consent mechanisms, which a federal judge must approve.

This is the FTC’s fourth consumer data privacy enforcement action in 2024, following settlements over data breaches and improper location data sales.

“Avast ...