The Firefox extensions built by Avast have been pulled from the open-source browser’s online add-on store over privacy fears. Adblock Plus founder Wladimir Palant confirmed this week Mozilla has taken down the Avast Online Security and Avast-owned AVG Online Security extensions he reported to the browser maker, claiming the code was snooping on users’ web surfing.
The problem, as Palant has been documenting on his blog for some time, is that the extensions – which offer to do things like prevent malware infections and phishing – may go well beyond their needed level of access to user information to do their advertised functions.
[Source: The Register]
