Avast, the anti-virus software recommended by UF since 2013, sold the browsing data of millions of its users to third-party companies like Microsoft and Amazon.
The data of students who did not opt out of the collection upon downloading Avast may have been included in the information that was sold, said Matt Pendleton, UF Information Technology senior director.
Avast’s consent policy outlines what data is sold: IP addresses, geo-locations and search histories, for starters.
This is not a data breach, Pendleton added — Avast is only one of many software companies that sells user data.
Sensitive information like users’ search terms and viewing history on porn websites were also among the data collected, according to a Vice News investigation that broke the story.
Third-party advertisers like Google and Amazon use the data to create personalized advertisements by targeting user demographics and browsing habits, according to the policy.
Avast Director of Communications Whitney Glockner Black wrote in an email that the data is stripped of identifiers so that no personal information is shared. For this reason, there’s no way to know which UF students were among those whose data was sold, she wrote.
Following the Vice News investigation, Avast discontinued the practice of using any data collected for any other purpose than the core security engine, Black wrote.
Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek published a letter apologizing for the data collection and breach of trust that many of its customers felt.
UF initially recommended Avast because it was free and used by millions of people, Pendleton said. According to the apology letter, Avast data collection began in 2015.
An archived snapshot of the UF Information Technology website from Dec. 22 shows step-by-step instructions on how to download Avast. As of Thursday, the page no longer exists.
It was replaced with a message that reads: “We can help you install any software that you want to have on your computer.”
“We are moving away from recommending specific products to students,” Pendleton said.
Now, UF encourages students to check the settings on all software and applications and determine if they can opt out of sharing their web browsing data, he said.
Evan Cowie, a 20-year-old UF classical studies junior and tech consultant for the UF Computing Help Desk, said he was unaware that Avast sold users’ data.
For now, he said he will reconsider recommending the application to students.
“It’s slightly concerning,” he said. “I can imagine feeling a bit sketched out.”
Contact Hannah Phillips at hphillips@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haphillips96.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
