Avast WEBforum
Consumer Products => Avast Free Antivirus / Premium Security (legacy Pro Antivirus, Internet Security, Premier) => Topic started by: been on May 17, 2014, 07:06:18 PM
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Before I start I'd like to say that as a free Avast user I accept that Avast will from time to time invite me to upgrade or purchase one of their other products. Those ads are occasional and not particularly intrusive. A few moments ago I clicked a link to a YouTube video that is geo-blocked in my country and received a 'toaster' pop up from Avast trying to sell me Secureline. If Avast is going to mis-use its ability to screen my web traffic to look for opportunities to sell me things then I believe that this is the point that it crosses a line and risks becoming spyware.
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The Secureline popup would have coincidental and un-related to your YouTube video.
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You will read many posts on the forum stating opinions about the added pop ups (market strategy) to increase the sales of Avasts added services.
It seems the direction chosen has ruffled more then just a few users. May be the price of using Avast.
Some will pay it, some will not
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No, it was explicitly related to that Youtube video. If you're outside the US then please try it for yourself. This is the page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCmriZSxxk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCmriZSxxk)
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Well I get the video is not available in my country notice but I don't receive any notice from avast.
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Well I get the video is not available in my country notice but I don't receive any notice from avast.
Same here.
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Well I definitely did! It came with a tick box option to turn the notification off for the site so there's no doubt what it was or what triggered it. The toaster message didn't specifically mention Secureline but it did reference the fact that content had been blocked and offered the facility to view content anywhere in the world if I clicked for more info. It looks as though there may have been an emergency update on Thursday affecting the webshield so perhaps only users who've restarted since then are getting this message.
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Don't know, I restart a couple of times everyday and no messages here.
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Trust me ... I got that message! I can't replicate it to take an image because I clicked to no longer receive for that site and I'm not getting it from a couple of other US geo-blocked video sites I've tried (so maybe only implemented for Youtube at mo?). I can't believe I'm the only one to be receiving this sort of message but maybe it's a gradual roll-out ... I'm sure someone else will see the toaster and report it here sooner or later.
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I'm not doubting you, it's just not happening here.
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1. Well I definitely did! It came with a tick box option to turn the notification off for the site so there's no doubt what it was or what triggered it.
2. It looks as though there may have been an emergency update on Thursday affecting the webshield so perhaps only users who've restarted since then are getting this message.
1. Please provide a screenshot.
2. I've all emergency updates installed (and restarted since then), but get no message at all.
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Asyn: Please see my edited post above, not sure how to replicate it as I selected to turn it off for Youtube.
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Asyn: Please see my edited post above, not sure how to replicate it as I selected to turn it off for Youtube.
Well, we've to wait for someone else to post it then. ;)
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Well, we've to wait for someone else to post it then. ;)
Or a comment from Avast staff.
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Or a comment from Avast staff.
If it's not replicable you hardly will get one.
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If it's not replicable you hardly will get one.
That I can't replicate it for reasons given doesn't mean that it didn't happen or doesn't exist, I'm not delusional and haven't taken acid since my youth. Avast will be aware of this pop-up (they put it there) so will be in a position to comment.
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That I can't replicate it for reasons given doesn't mean that it didn't happen or doesn't exist, I'm not delusional and haven't taken acid since my youth. Avast will be aware of this (they put it there) so will be in a position to comment.
Well, good luck... :-\
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Avast Online Security may be a factor. If been has it enabled and the rest of you don't, that may be an avenue that the popup was triggered.
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I have AOS disabled in my browsers!
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No, it was explicitly related to that Youtube video. If you're outside the US then please try it for yourself. This is the page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCmriZSxxk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCmriZSxxk)
Well there are many such geo-location restrictions on content and not just on youtube - avast! is using this as a sales opportunity (see attached image1) as it would be aware of the geo-location blocking (not initiating it).
Unfortunately the avast! popup isn't very clear/helpful as the wording to me is misleading - the user may think that by clicking the 'Bypass restrictions now' button (image2), is a means of viewing the content then and not purchasing the avast! SecureLine VPN.
I don't believe AOS is a factor at all, as it is disabled on my firefox 29.0.1.
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Thanks for the screenshots Dave.
Seems to be related to localization, as I don't get them here with the German version.
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Definitely related with location, but avast! monitoring what you can watch and don't due to geolocation restrictions and offering its product to bypass those restrictions does not make it a spyware. I would say avast! is taking care of what interests you and it is giving you a choice to try one of its products to bypass that restiction.
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I guess it comes down to how you define spyware but Avast using its essential ability to monitor all my net traffic for the purpose of identifying sales opportunities is something with which I'm deeply uncomfortable.
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Well.. Of course. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Avast! must monitor what you surf otherwise it would not protect you. Now, taking advantage of its function to offer you a product is just marketing strategy and it only take a script line in the program. I would say I like avast! telling me what is going on and what I can use to fix the problen instead of Googling it and going some place where can give a bad advice or a program that I can run that can really be spyware.
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I guess it comes down to how you define spyware but Avast using its essential ability to monitor all my net traffic for the purpose of identifying sales opportunities is something with which I'm deeply uncomfortable.
Should you have such a (SecureLine) VPN service, it isn't just getting round geo-location blocks, but also improves privacy.
Get used to things monitoring your on-line activity, browsers do it, web sites do it (cookies, etc.) as do search engines.
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Avast does have to monitor my net traffic for my protection (that's why I called it essential), it doesn't have to monitor it for the purpose of creating sales opportunities for its marketing department. Avast is a European company and I'm a European user; I don't believe I've given informed consent for this use of the interception of my data and Avast appears to offer no facility to opt out. Has Avast really considered the full implications of this? I believe it's crossed a line.
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Avast does have to monitor my net traffic for my protection (that's why I called it essential), it doesn't have to monitor it for the purpose of creating sales opportunities for its marketing department. Avast is a European company and I'm a European user; I don't believe I've given informed consent for this use of the interception of my data and Avast appears to offer no facility to opt out. Has Avast really considered the full implications of this? I believe it's crossed a line.
You're making accusations but haven't truly offered any proof. (screenshot)
I've never seen the type of popup your talking about from Avast.
I've seen it from YouTube and other such services.
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You're making accusations but haven't truly offered any proof. (screenshot)
I didn't have the presence of mind to take an image when it occurred but two other posters have provided screenshots. Avast is inspecting users' internet traffic for sales opportunities.
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You're making accusations but haven't truly offered any proof. (screenshot)
I didn't have the presence of mind to take an image when it occurred but two other posters have provided screenshots. Avast is inspecting users' internet traffic for sales opportunities.
Where ??? Links ???
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Iroc9555 and DavidR have both posted screenshots on page 2 of this thread.
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Iroc9555 and DavidR have both posted screenshots on page 2 of this thread.
Iroc's image isn't from avast! but from the service that displays the video.
David's images explained some things to you but, aren't images related to your claim.
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Look at the bottom right of Iroc's image and you'll see the Avast pop-up which was also encountered by DavidR (in his screenshot) and myself. The pop-up (which is a standard avast toaster ad) is designed to promote Secureline and is triggered when a YouTube page containing a geo-blocked video is accessed. I think this supports my claim that Avast is inspecting users' traffic to market its products to them, but if anyone has another theory...
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I quite often see a toaster popup urging me to install GrimeFighter.
Grimefighter was never installed and doesn't work on my OS.
I've also seen a popup for SecureLine despite the fact that I own it and it's running
at the time the popup appeared.
Could it be ad tracking ??? Maybe. Could it be coincidence ??? Maybe
Unfortunately being on the internet also means giving up most of your privacy.
Something we may not like but something that is a fact.
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Again, Bob, I invite you to look at the images posted by others. The toaster has a tick box for "Don't show again for this website", it's not coincidence.
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Again, Bob, I invite you to look at the images posted by others. The toaster has a tick box for "Don't show again for this website", it's not coincidence.
(http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1400371974545-58240.png)
Every website you visit is first checked by avast! to make sure it's safe.
I'm sure avast! is also aware of the fact that the video can't be played due to restrictions
that can be bypassed by SecureLine. Hence to suggestion to use it if you're interested.
What is the problem ??? You can tell avast! not to display the option to purchase the product again.
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I am also pretty sure that the information passed on to you prior to installing avast! in the eula,
pretty well spells out what avast! can and can not do with the information harvested.
You agreed to all of this prior to installing avast!. Even if you didn't read all of the eula or if you totally
understood everything spelled out in the eula.
Just as you do with every other program installed on your computer. Including your operating system.
Don't feel bad, I hardly ever read the eula since I want to use the program not spend my time
becoming a Philadelphia lawyer. :)
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Look at the bottom right of Iroc's image and you'll see the Avast pop-up which was also encountered by DavidR (in his screenshot) and myself. The pop-up (which is a standard avast toaster ad) is designed to promote Secureline and is triggered when a YouTube page containing a geo-blocked video is accessed. I think this supports my claim that Avast is inspecting users' traffic to market its products to them, but if anyone has another theory...
We also explained that that does not make avast! a spyware. Avast! has to. It must monitor which sites you visit in order to protect you. Every program, browser does anyways. Now, avast! throw at you a little advert ( advice ) on how to circumvent the problem of geolocation restriction by using another of its product does not make it a spyware. A spyware will collect info from your computer and your Internet activity and it will transmit it to someone else to use it against your best interests. Avast! is not doing that. It is looking after you.
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This has nothing to do with advice or security, this is Avast using my private information against me to advertise at me. There is little in principle to distinguish between this Avast activity and the behaviour of deep packet inspection outfits such as Phorm which caused a great deal of controversy in the UK some years ago.
Avast told me at installation that I can opt out of this sort of data collection and (mis)-use via my account but last I looked it provides no such facility. How do I opt out?
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The simple solution is to change to another product and then have them collect your data.
You are pretty naive to think that you can actually use the internet without any data collection.
(http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1400421714562-50059.png)