Avastavast __full__ [VERIFIED]
The scandal led to investigations by the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection and the FTC in the United States. In 2024, Gen Digital (Avast's parent company) settled FTC charges, agreeing to pay $16.5 million and agreeing to a ban on selling users' web browsing data for advertising purposes. This settlement highlighted the tension between "free" software and the hidden cost of user data.