Avast monitors your Internet searches?

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I've had version 17.5.2303 for a while on Windows 8.1, with a custom installation of only: file, web and behavior shields and nothing else.

It could be a coincidence, but today I did several Google searches in a row concerning disabling driver updates in Windows 10, specifically the "Fall Creators Update".  After those rapid searches, Avast pops up a message in the lower-right corner asking if I was having software problems.

It doesn't seem like a coincidence to me, and if it's not, I don't like it.  I guess it could be coming from their behavior shield, but for me it's not worth turning that off.

Does anyone know if Avast monitors your Internet searches?

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It is not a coincidence. See here:

http://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/avc_datasending_2014_en.pdf

and check for Avast!

[mchain]

Well, the PDF is dated from 2014...

See attached below for privacy settings for avast:

Untick both if on by default

[DavidR]

@  Todd_NC
I guess you also have the Avast SafePrice browser extension installed ?

I would suggest doing a custom install and get rid of what components you don't need or want.

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@John712, thanks for the AV comparatives PDF.  I've read AV comparatives articles for many years, but I didn't look at the privacy one.  Looks like all of the major brands transmit non-malicious URLs visited.

@mchain, thanks but I already have both of those turned off, it's 1 of the first things I do when installing Avast.

@DavidR, like I said in the original post, I did a custom install and I only have web and behavior shields installed (and also file shield...I didn't mention that).  I've tripple-checked by doing a temporary "Modify" of the Avast program using Control Panel, and only those 3 items are checked.  Also, there's nothing listed in the Control Panel programs list that shouldn't be there.

Only Avast's developers know for sure, but since I rarely get popup messages from Avast, and now I get one only seconds after doing Internet searches about drivers, and the message is about "software problems", I'd have to bet that Avast is monitoring the searches.

[DavidR]

The only other suggestion I have is since the Driver Updater is a paid option it will be sat waiting (even though not installed) for anything related to what it does to throw up a message/AD for the Driver Updater.   

If you go to the avastUI > Performance section, you will see it there waiting.  Notice that it just says Install Now, nothing about it being a paid option. If you install it and subsequently try to use it, then I believe you will find it is a paid option.

I hate all of this additional cr4p that is just sat waiting for an opportunity to try and get a sale.  It just isn't going to happen, certainly on any of my systems. I'm very loath to update drivers unless there is a specific need (for most people that will be graphics drivers) or they are broken.

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@DavidR - thanks.  I don't have the Driver updater installed, but I know what you're saying about being "ready" to install.  Again, I'm not pointing fingers since I don't know for sure, but it certainly looks like Avast monitors Internet searches and sometimes gives popup ads if your search is for certain things.

[DavidR]

Given what you were searching for it is certainly in line for some suspicion.

I hate a number of these prospective ads/promotions, etc. my particular straw to break the camels back are those popups/ads/promotions that are downright misleading.  I have had a paid firewall for many years, more than the 13 years I have had avast and it still tries to get you to Activate (read bloody buy) firewall.

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I needed to look at something on support.lenovo.com, which I haven't done in a while, and a few seconds after visiting that site, the Avast message came up again about "Having software problems?".

I think we can safely say that they ARE monitoring URLs.  What a shame.

They have good software, but when they stoop down and crawl around in the mud, it just makes me lose respect.

[bob3160]

I needed to look at something on support.lenovo.com, which I haven't done in a while, and a few seconds after visiting that site, the Avast message came up again about "Having software problems?".

I think we can safely say that they ARE monitoring URLs.  What a shame.

They have good software, but when they stoop down and crawl around in the mud, it just makes me lose respect.

Unless they monitor your internet traffic, how would you expect them to protect you when you get to a dangerous site
Scanning is the same a monitoring.

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Unless they monitor your internet traffic, how would you expect them to protect you when you get to a dangerous site
Scanning is the same a monitoring.

Not quite.  There's an ethical difference to me personally between looking for virus definition matches in internet traffic, and advertising your extra products/services by watching for certain sites I visit or certain queries sent to search engines.  I think when they misuse their ability to monitor traffic, that it's misuse of the trust I placed in them when installing it.

I like the product, I've used it exclusively on all my computers since version 4.  I just wish they wouldn't stoop so low to sell things.  If they're desperate to sell, they should place a magazine ad or pay Google like many others, but this makes them look like a late 90s virus.