I’ve used your product for many years but I was really surprised to hear this from my elderly father. I would like to know if avast shows a laptop webcam pop up to their free antivirus owners. He said that it showed his face to him and that avast was warning him to turn off his laptop webcam to prevent others from doing this for malicious purposes and to purchase the full version for more protection. Now, before I go further with my thoughts on this, I need confirmation of whether or not this really was avast, or if something else is running on his machine that he mistakenly thought was avast.
Unfortunately he had closed it because it scared him so I’m not sure if I would be able to get it to come back. I wasn’t able to see it myself, he had told me about it after he fact.
But I noticed there is a feature called Webcam Shield in avast. It is locked unless you purchase the full version. I am wondering if this is where it came from. My worry is that avast is employing scare tactics to get customers to buy it. I don’t support these practices. But I wish to confirm if this is a strategy avast now employs before I put blame on any party.
Well, we do know avast! is using really bizarre ways to prove their point which is in most cases perceived negatively from users. I just have no clue why they continue doing it this way.
Bizarre points yes actually activating the webcam, not anything I’ve ever seen.
Definitely need some proof before pouncing on Avast for something like that.
@ RejZoR
I too dislike this type of advertising/scaremongering e.g. taking advantage of a privileged position being installed on our systems.
@ Bob
Avast has form for this type of thing already, using scans to report issues that would require premium products (Smart Scan comes to mind here).
The OP has essentially provided that proof already
avast was warning him to turn off his laptop webcam to prevent others from doing this for malicious purposes [b]and to purchase the full version for more protection[/b]
Avast is meant to protect us from malware, like preventing this type of malware getting on to the system in the first place, so it can’t misuse the webcam.
My desktop hasn’t got a webcam and there is no way it is going to have one.
My win10 laptop has a webcam built in, but like you I too have it covered over.
@David,
That’s a warning to inform the user that the webcam can be turned on it’s not the same a s turning it on.
In any case, I’ve referred this to the developers forum and hope we’ll hear something directly from Avast.
That isn’t the salient part of my comment is the bold text “and to purchase the full version for more protection” which is why I highlighted that part. If that isn’t a sales pitch, bordering on give the user a headache and sell him an aspirin if not worse.
I appreciate all of the comments. I am also still looking into it. I don’t personally use avast! anymore on my own computer (because of the borderline nagging to purchase, which is a whole other conversation) but I have installed it on my laptop for now with default configuration. I’m looking to see if I can replicate it for my own eyes. I merely posted this thread to see if anyone has seen this.
The browser by default cannot open the webcam without user interaction. So, no this wouldn’t have happened here. He clearly explained to me that it was an avast popup that had come up while he was watching TV and noticed that his face was on screen. I’m just trying to remain objective, and avast DOES in fact advertise their “Webcam Shield” feature from time to time. Hoping that more eyes will see this thread and maybe someone has seen it before.