Before I start I’d like to say that as a free Avast user I accept that Avast will from time to time invite me to upgrade or purchase one of their other products. Those ads are occasional and not particularly intrusive. A few moments ago I clicked a link to a YouTube video that is geo-blocked in my country and received a ‘toaster’ pop up from Avast trying to sell me Secureline. If Avast is going to mis-use its ability to screen my web traffic to look for opportunities to sell me things then I believe that this is the point that it crosses a line and risks becoming spyware.
The Secureline popup would have coincidental and un-related to your YouTube video.
You will read many posts on the forum stating opinions about the added pop ups (market strategy) to increase the sales of Avasts added services.
It seems the direction chosen has ruffled more then just a few users. May be the price of using Avast.
Some will pay it, some will not
No, it was explicitly related to that Youtube video. If you’re outside the US then please try it for yourself. This is the page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tCmriZSxxk
Well I get the video is not available in my country notice but I don’t receive any notice from avast.
Same here.
Well I definitely did! It came with a tick box option to turn the notification off for the site so there’s no doubt what it was or what triggered it. The toaster message didn’t specifically mention Secureline but it did reference the fact that content had been blocked and offered the facility to view content anywhere in the world if I clicked for more info. It looks as though there may have been an emergency update on Thursday affecting the webshield so perhaps only users who’ve restarted since then are getting this message.
Don’t know, I restart a couple of times everyday and no messages here.
Trust me … I got that message! I can’t replicate it to take an image because I clicked to no longer receive for that site and I’m not getting it from a couple of other US geo-blocked video sites I’ve tried (so maybe only implemented for Youtube at mo?). I can’t believe I’m the only one to be receiving this sort of message but maybe it’s a gradual roll-out … I’m sure someone else will see the toaster and report it here sooner or later.
I’m not doubting you, it’s just not happening here.
- Please provide a screenshot.
- I’ve all emergency updates installed (and restarted since then), but get no message at all.
Asyn: Please see my edited post above, not sure how to replicate it as I selected to turn it off for Youtube.
Well, we’ve to wait for someone else to post it then. 
Well, we've to wait for someone else to post it then. ;)Or a comment from Avast staff.
If it’s not replicable you hardly will get one.
If it's not replicable you hardly will get one.That I can't replicate it for reasons given doesn't mean that it didn't happen or doesn't exist, I'm not delusional and haven't taken acid since my youth. Avast will be aware of this pop-up (they put it there) so will be in a position to comment.
Well, good luck… :-\
Avast Online Security may be a factor. If been has it enabled and the rest of you don’t, that may be an avenue that the popup was triggered.
I have AOS disabled in my browsers!
Well there are many such geo-location restrictions on content and not just on youtube - avast! is using this as a sales opportunity (see attached image1) as it would be aware of the geo-location blocking (not initiating it).
Unfortunately the avast! popup isn’t very clear/helpful as the wording to me is misleading - the user may think that by clicking the ‘Bypass restrictions now’ button (image2), is a means of viewing the content then and not purchasing the avast! SecureLine VPN.
I don’t believe AOS is a factor at all, as it is disabled on my firefox 29.0.1.