I too am posting on here for the first time because of this. Yes we installed an full security suite. Yes we agreed to auto updates. However those updates were supposed to be for virus definitions and updates to the program itself. When you are installing, the software tells you all about the different parts and you get to decide what to install. We want security software to work for us and keep us safe. To stop bonzai buddy and whatever else tried to install itself from the web, on top of the normal virus protection. What we do NOT want, is your company to install whatever it feels like installing because it thinks it knows better than us. I never gave permission for another VPN to be installed. As a matter of fact, I have one from another company, and yours would conflict. Then not only do you install it, You have it running. Taking up system resources without permission. What part of this business practice do you think is above board? Just saying we gave permission for updates months ago when we installed in insufficient on it's face. This software is supposed to be designed to detect PUP, not install one itself. As you can hear on here, it is definitely unwanted by many people. 35000 views is quite a lot. Not to mention the people who don't know to come here and find out. It's sleazy business and you know it. Software should NEVER install NEW software (just saying it's part of the suite does not excuse it) on a users machine without consent. That's the entire theory behind PUP's and other things. You want to act scummy like that, fine, but don't try and rationalize it. Don't try to make people out to be bad guys when they are pissed that YOU modified THEIR computer without so much as a "by your leave". How dare you think you can do something to a users computer without their permission. Using the permissions it was granted to protect a users system to load it up with apparently any software you deem fit, just because it is part of your suite, or in the users best interest. You are not in a position to know what they user wants. You do not know if there is some software that may conflict with the sleaze-ware you want to push on us. Luckily I have little snitch and was notified that it was trying to connect and I could shut it down. But look at it like this... You are pushing unwanted-unasked for software onto a users computer that then runs and makes connections to the internet, even without signing up or asking permission to connect. How is that anything but dirty. Saying that we allowed updates when we installed avast is disingenuous at best. We allowed updates to the definitions and the software we opted for. We did not give blanket permission for you to install what you want when you want. Then choosing to attack users / customers / potential customers because they are angry and frustrated about this sneaky action is ridiculous. Users come here to find out what the hell you people did and you attack them? Try to shame them for being pissed? Another sign that your side is being shady. So you act like a virus or malware and modify a computer outside the parameters of the install or what was agreed to, then dress down the people for being pissed. No matter how you try and spin it, FORCING software onto a customers computer, with no notification or warning of any kind, software that touches deep into the network system to route ALL network traffic, and that software begins contacting the net and calling home immediately is just plain crappy. It will not make you new friends. It will not make you look good. Makes you seem like the bad guys. How you don't see that, I 'm not sure. Im sure that some people would have happily installed it and paid for a vpn, had they known what you wanted. On the other hand I think the vast majority of people don't need or want a vpn, but you don't care either way. Force it onto your computer then maybe scare and trick you into paying for it and you get the money. Sounds like a lot of other shady business from the web where you get something unwanted installed and you get tricked into paying for it.
Shame Avast. Shame