When you make a purchase via the Avast Store, you may be notified that you need to enable JavaScript and / or cookies in your web browser. This is because the Avast Store is unable to load and function correctly without these settings enabled.
[*.]avast.com now appears on your Allowed to use JavaScript list. This means that all webpages with a web address beginning avast.com (such as www.avast.com/store) allow JavaScript.
Avast browser extension
JavaScript is enabled for all websites by default in Mozilla Firefox. If you have disabled JavaScript using a browser add-on that allows you to customize your JavaScript settings, you need to re-enable JavaScript using this add-on. For more information about JavaScript settings in Mozilla Firefox, refer to the following article from Mozilla Support:
[*.]avast.com now appears on your list of Sites that can always use cookies. This means that all webpages with a web address beginning avast.com (such as www.avast.com/store) allow cookies.
[*.]avast.com now appears on your list of Sites that can always use cookies. This means that all webpages with a web address beginning avast.com (such as www.avast.com/store) allow cookies.
To enable all features in Avast AntiTrack Premium, you may need to manually install the extension on your Google Chrome web browser. The first time you open Avast AntiTrack after activation, the application automatically checks for Google Chrome, then prompts you to install the extension. If you skip this step, or need to install the extension later, follow the steps in this article.
Many of the best Chrome extensions for security are specialists. Chrome antivirus add-ons look out for malware, anti-tracking extensions prevent web trackers from spying on you, and password managers let you easily create, store, and use unique passwords for all your accounts. And for comprehensive malware protection, use antivirus software for your Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac, Android, or iOS device.
One of the best antivirus Chrome extensions, Avast Online Security helps you avoid malicious websites that download malware to your device or mimic trusted sites to fool you into sharing sensitive personal details (this is what pharming is).
Like all the add-ons here, Avast Online Security protects against only browser-borne threats. A more comprehensive, dedicated security solution like Avast One will defend against malware and other threats from outside your browser, such as a Wi-Fi hacker or a file you downloaded via peer-to-peer file sharing.
Ghostery is an ad-blocker and anti-tracking extension rolled into one. As one of the most popular anti-tracking Chrome extensions, Ghostery blocks social network trackers, Google analytics, and third-party ad trackers.
A specialized secure browser will automatically protect you from tracking cookies, email tracking pixels, and even browser fingerprinting. Avast Secure Browser is a free browser that defends your online privacy and security without needing any extra help.
With automatic ad blocking, Avast Secure Browser protects your browsing against disruption by intrusive ads. Plus, you'll enjoy security against not only malware and malicious websites, but web tracking, unsecured connections, phishing scams, and webcam hacking with a browser designed to fully protect your personal data online.
Billed as a privacy-protection extension, Blur is a secure password manager that also blocks trackers and masks your data. When you enter information into an online form, Blur lets you mask your real data behind randomly generated fake credentials. Email masking is free, but phone numbers and credit cards are covered only with a subscription.
Cookie Consent Manager allows you to automatically hide cookie pop-ups that appear on certain websites. You can also add trusted websites that are always allowed to store cookies and remember your login information. It is a premium feature in Avast Online Security & Privacy and is available with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera browsers.
Browser extension I don't care about cookies does one job and does it well. It automatically removes the annoying-but-mandated "This website uses cookies" notices from websites. People like it, donate to it, and don't ask more of it, a rare find for free software.
The tone changed when the solo developer posted "GREAT NEWS" on the extension's website. Avast, a giant in cybersecurity that just completed an $8.1 billion merger with NortonLifeLock, will acquire the 10-year-old software for an undisclosed price.
"I am proud and happy to say that Avast ... a famous and trustworthy IT company known for the wide range of products that help secure our digital experience, has recognized its value!," developer Daniel Kladnik wrote recently. Kladnik wrote that he would keep working on the extension, it would remain free, and asked for donations to cease.
Commenters on Facebook, Twitter, and the extension's various installation pages did not agree with Kladnik's characterization of Avast. "Congratulations on killing the extension! Avast is cancer on this planet," wrote a Facebook commenter. "The cure is now worse than the disease," wrote another. "Sad to see a great pop-up blocking extension being acquired by a well-known pop-up creating company," someone opined on the Chrome extension page.
There's always a certain amount of knee-jerk "uninstalling" reaction to software acquisitions, but an extension that handles cookie policy for you being acquired by Avast does raise some questions. (We've reached out to both Kladnik and Avast and will update the post with new information).
In 2019, the creator of AdBlock Plus dug into Avast's Online Security browser extension (and a similar one from AVG, which Avast acquired). The extension was sending extensive details about the pages visited, activity on those pages, and other data that made de-anonymizing people fairly easy. Google soon after removed Avast and AVG's extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
Avast, a Czech-based company in operation since 1988, has also contributed notable research and security discoveries for more than three decades. In recent years, Avast found 28 malware-infected browser extensions (in 2020), revealed a backdoor inside a federal agency (in 2021), and raised alarms about a Chrome vulnerability being used to target journalists and other specific targets.
Alternatives to "I don't care about cookies" mentioned by sites and users include Consent-O-Matic and a number of other extensions that have nowhere near the same 10-year history or review build-up of Kladnik's extension. You could, of course, keep using the extension and watch the updates closely.
Avast researchers believe the objective behind this is to monetize the traffic itself. For every redirection to a third party domain, the cybercriminals would receive a payment. Nonetheless, the extension also has the capability to redirect the users to ads or phishing sites.
The malware has been quite difficult to detect since it has the ability to "hide itself". Avast malware researcher, Jan Vojtěšek, said "the virus detects if the user is googling one of its domains or, for instance, if the user is a web developer and, if so, won't perform any malicious activities on their browsers. It avoids infecting people more skilled in web development, since they could more easily find out what the extensions are doing in the background."
At this moment, the infected extensions are still available for download. Avast has contacted the Microsoft and Google Chrome teams to report them. Both Microsoft and Google confirmed they are currently looking into the issue. In the meantime, Avast recommends users disable or uninstall the extensions for now until the problem is resolved and then scan for and remove the malware.
Are you one of the allegedly 400 million users of Avast antivirus products? Then I have bad news for you: you are likely being spied upon. The culprit is the Avast Online Security extension that these products urge you to install in your browser for maximum protection.
What do you mean by "It is hidden from the extension listing and cannot be uninstalled by regular means" ? How can you fully uninstall it and what is a better and safer free antivirus to use without this problem ?
Does this also apply to Avast Free Antivirus? The Free Antivirus can notify me of malicious websites I visit (even though there is a lot of false positives) without a browser extension in place. My guess is yes this also applies but does anyone know for sure?
I don't know for sure. I'd assume that the main antivirus application respects its own "don't collect any data" setting, so that you are fine as long as you don't install browser extensions. But that isn't something I can verify. 2ff7e9595c
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