Definition
Avast is a Czech cybersecurity software company founded in 1988 by Eduard Kučera and Pavel Baudiš, which became one of the most widely used antivirus programs in the world — particularly its free version, which dominated the consumer antivirus market throughout the 2000s and 2010s. The word “avast” is also a traditional nautical command meaning “stop” or “hold still,” derived from the Dutch “houd vast” (hold fast). In the context of software, Avast’s free antivirus offered real-time protection, malware scanning, and a suite of security tools at no cost, funded by upselling premium features. The company grew to over 400 million users worldwide and merged with fellow Czech antivirus firm AVG in 2016. However, Avast became controversial in 2020 when reports revealed that its subsidiary Jumpshot had been selling detailed user browsing data — including searches, clicks, and purchases — to major corporations like Google, Microsoft, and McKinsey. The revelation caused widespread outrage, led to the shutdown of Jumpshot, and damaged Avast’s reputation as a privacy protector. In 2021, Avast was acquired by NortonLifeLock for over $8 billion.
Why It Matters
Avast is the internet’s favorite antivirus to have used and then abandoned. For a generation of Windows users in the 2000s, Avast Free Antivirus was the default choice: it was free, it was effective enough, and its iconic “VIRUS DATABASE HAS BEEN UPDATED” notification voice became a Pavlovian trigger for millions. The internet’s relationship with Avast is defined by nostalgia for that voice, that blue interface, that sense of security in an era when downloading the wrong .exe could destroy your computer. But it is also defined by betrayal: the 2020 revelation that Avast was selling user data shattered the trust that the company had built over decades. The internet’s reaction was swift and merciless: “The antivirus that protects you from viruses… by being the virus.” The Avast story matters because it encapsulates a central paradox of the free software economy: if you are not paying for the product, you are the product. Avast gave away security and sold surveillance. And the internet, which had recommended Avast to grandparents and installed it on every family computer, felt complicit. Avast is not just an antivirus. It is a lesson. And the internet is still learning it.
Example
“He installed Avast in 2008. It was free. It was blue. It had a voice. ‘Virus database has been updated.’ He heard it every day. He felt safe. He recommended it to his mother. She installed it. She felt safe. In 2020, he read the news. Avast was selling data. His data. His mother’s data. The data of 400 million people. He uninstalled it. The uninstall process took 20 minutes. It asked why. It asked if he was sure. It offered him a discount. He was sure. He installed Windows Defender. It was free. It had no voice. He missed the voice. But he did not miss the betrayal. That was Avast. A voice that said ‘I protect you.’ And a company that said ‘I sell you.’ And the internet said ‘never again.’ Until the next free antivirus.”
Related Terms
- Antivirus Software — The category of software that Avast dominated for over a decade
- Jumpshot — The Avast subsidiary that sold user data, leading to the company’s reputation crisis
- AVG — The rival antivirus company that merged with Avast in 2016
- Windows Defender — Microsoft’s built-in antivirus that became the default alternative after Avast’s scandal
- Free Software Paradox — The economic reality that free products often monetize user data