Piriform kidnapped: Avast Forcing CCleaner to Recommend Avast Free Antivirus

[Ink]

A play with the title,
Piriform kidnapped: Avast Forcing CCleaner to Recommend Avast Free Antivirus
> CCleaner Forced by Avast to Push their Antivirus
> CCleaner introduces deceptive methods to get users to install Avast

Saw this originally on

Went ahead and downloaded CCleaner (standard installer). Nothing new.

London-based Piriform is owned by Avast, yet, they are masquerading around with shady marketing to get Avast installed on as many PCs.

It reads:

Want to add security to your installation?​

CCleaner recommend Avast Free Antivirus​

[x] Yes, install Avast Free Antivirus​

"Add security" is misleading. I thought it would reinforce the integrity of my CCleaner installation and prevent their previous network incident.
"CCleaner recommends" No it doesn't. You are pushing yourself with shady marketing techniques.
"Yes, install..". The checkbox is already marked for installation. Users of CCleaner don't get the choice.

Unless you read the License Agreement, most users won't know about Avast Company owning CCleaner.

"An Avast Company" should be badged all over the Piriform & CCleaner website, and software installers.

If you have read this far, then you must know that CCleaner for Android has also been ruined. It's a carbon-copy of Avast Cleanup and Boost of Android.

 

[BoraMurdar]

One of the reasons I've stopped using it...

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

Anything Avast touches turns to crap. Remember, Avast first and foremost, is an analytics firm. Period. Anything they do has the primary goal of driving their Jumpshot Analytics to which they utilize to make money from YOUR activities.

Using it, you basically are agreeing to have your data harvested and it's a busy little bee.

 

[L0ckJaw]

Never liked Avast. Now i know why

 

[ForgottenSeer 69673]

But if you block outbound access with your firewall, how do they collect data?

 

[dinosaur07]

This is the price we pay for freeware.

 

[show-Zi]

I think that the evaluation of software changes not only depending on whether it is good or bad, but also depending on the way of distribution. I think that there is no problem with the function of the C cleaner itself, but my impression has become a software bundling "an unwelcome favors"

 

[HarborFront]

I'm using the portable version. So no such issue

 

[Deleted member 178]

I'm using the portable version. So no such issue

Me too, why use the installed version when you have a portable one.

 

[XhenEd]

Yep! I agree it's a shady marketing. Recommend? But then, an opt-out option?!

Oh, Avast, what are you doing?!

 

[Deletedmessiah]

I'm using the portable version too with connection disallowed in firewall.

 

[conceptualclarity]

Doesn't bother me much. However I've never been a fan of large cyberworld companies acquiring smaller companies, especially because they often kill the products they acquired, like Symantec did with PC Tools, Sophos with Hitman Kickstart, etc., etc.

 

[spaceoctopus]

Like many on MT here anticipated when they first bought Piriform, they are now starting to use Ccleaner as an advertising platform. It has been a clean, effective and highly respected among the IT community for years.Now thanks to Avast it's starting to turn into crap.

Simple, give a free version, and a paid one with advanced features. No need to bundle it with crap and destroy the product.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Most of the systems i fixed that were infected were using Avast LOL.

 

[Pirate_fin]

i stopped using ccleaner and avast antivirus, because my tracking protection went crazy when i was using them

 

[MeltdownEnemy]

The portable ccleaner doesn't offer these things at here, im breathing very calm without these ads using latest piri-CC. I can imagine that you are refering to them about adware on its common executables installers, but if avast is its host company right now. What is the question then?

 

[ForgottenSeer 69673]

I still use CCleaner and have it's connection blocked from the net. I get no advertising what so ever with it.
Don't use Avast AV and never will.

 

[SumTingWong]

So Avast will install even you unchecked install avast and went with customize in the installer?

 

[ForgottenSeer 69673]

So Avast will install even you unchecked install avast and went with customize in the installer?

I never had it do that.