More than 10,000 Dutch people have applied to the Consumers United In Court (CUIC) foundation for the lawsuit against Avast. The foundation is demanding damages of between 800 and 1,100 euros per person. Thus, the amount of damages claimed by the foundation has now reached nearly 10 million euros.
The case revolves around Czech antivirus company Avast. The company collected user data through its antivirus software and browser extensions between May 2015 and January 2020. This included things like browsing history, search queries, location data and online purchases, as well as special personal data such as sexual preference, religious opinion and affinity for political parties.
Through subsidiary Jumpshot, Avast sold this data to parties such as Google, Microsoft and Yelp. They allegedly put millions on the table to be allowed to use the data to offer targeted online ads and other purposes. The antivirus developer sold this customer data without the consent of its users. In doing so, the company violated Dutch and European privacy laws.
Earlier this month, the CUIC foundation announced it was filing a lawsuit against Avast for unlawfully collecting and selling user data. Worldwide, 435 million people used the antivirus maker's software, including some 5 million Dutch. Since the announcement of the lawsuit, more than 10,000 Dutch people have signed up.
CUIC Foundation and Avast recently sat down together, but the conversation did not lead to the desired result. "It's bizarre that Avast of all companies, a company that stands for online security, has so collectively abused our trust. It's the upside-down world. You install an antivirus program to protect your PC, and you get spying in return. We think this is a big scandal," a spokesperson told the AD.
The foundation demands compensation of between 800 and 1,100 euros per Dutch citizen who signs up for the lawsuit. Due to the high number of applications, the total amount of damages is now close to 10 million euros.
While Avast has apologized for selling user data, that is not enough, according to the CUIC Foundation. "You should not be able to get away with this kind of practice where money has been knowingly made from privacy violation. People have no idea to whom all their data has been sold by Avast and what it is now being used for. For that, a 'sorry' is not enough, otherwise nothing will ever change."
In addition to damages, the foundation says the lawsuit will create more awareness among "data wasters. "For many companies, privacy is a keystone rather than an essential factor when designing software. There are also still companies that do not ask for explicit consent before using your data for purposes that are not simply and clearly presented to the user."
The foundation expects the mass tort suit against Avast to last several years. Anyone who used Avast between 2015 and 2020 can sign up for free. The lawsuit is funded by Omni Bridgeway, a Swiss law firm. If it wins, the firm will receive between 10 and 25 percent of the proceeds.
