AVAST (free) requested the removal of SSL from email accounts, why is this necessary and if it is done does AVAST offer equal protection? and if so how does it do this?
It is done so that avast can route the emails through its localhost proxy for scanning. Avast handles the secure connection for sending/receipt of your emails as required.
Not an antivirus could scan SSL connections because they’re encrypted, protected. That’s the reason for them.
avast offers to make a proxy rule in the game, decrypting, scanning, encrypting.