AVG to begin selling personal data

AVG is often recommended here, a popular free anti-virus program. They intend to join Microsoft, Google, and Facebook in selling information collected from their clients' computers.

One week until AVG flogs your web browsing

Enough, I'm sure, to set the tin-foil hat paranoids into a frenzy ... again. Isn't unplugging your computer from the Internet the easiest thing to do if you're that freaked out? But even though I chuckle at the often crazy things my fellow flight-simmers believe and do, I have to agree that this is bad news, especially for those of you who depend on AVG.

AVG is often recommended here, a popular free anti-virus program. They intend to join Microsoft, Google, and Facebook in selling information collected from their clients' computers.

 

One week until AVG flogs your web browsing

 

Enough, I'm sure, to set the tin-foil hat paranoids into a frenzy ... again. Isn't unplugging your computer from the Internet the easiest thing to do if you're that freaked out? But even though I chuckle at the often crazy things my fellow flight-simmers believe and do, I have to agree that this is bad news, especially for those of you who depend on AVG.

Microsoft does not sell data... do you have a link where I can buy some?

Microsoft revised its user data use agreement August 1, reported in both mainstream and IT press. The Microsofties have always done a poor job at "monetizing", to use corporate-speak, i.e. make any money from Bing, Hotmail, and their other free stuff. The new management wants to change that. The same is true now at AVG. Windows 10 has lots of data collection via Cortana and such but, to their credit, much if not all of that can be turned off if you follow the procedures to change default opt in to opt out. Also to their credit is the "do not track" option in new versions of their browsers, Edge and Internet Explorer.

And, no, Microsoft isn't going to provide you or any consumer a link to buy collected data. Your corporate lawyers would be required to contact their corporate lawyers, to negotiate a deal.

From Newsweek, 8-1-2015:

"All this information doesn’t necessarily remain with just Microsoft. The company says it uses the data collected for three purposes: to provide and improve its services; to send customers personalized promotions; and to display targeted advertising, which sometimes requires the information be shared with third parties. Microsoft mentions that though it assigns each customer a unique advertising ID, which is fed data during computer usage, it “does not use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, or your documents, photos or other personal files to target ads to you.” It makes no such promise for its other stated data collection purposes."