For many people, free antivirus programs have been always used as a trojan horse in your computer capable of spying you, if required. Now AVG admits that it will soon start officially collect and sell your browser and search history data. If you have AVG installed in your compuiter, starting October the 15th you'll get a popup, indicating that AVG anti-virus software now collect and sell browser and search history. Security firm AVG can sell search and browser history data to advertisers, in a change to its privacy policy has confirmed.

This one is from AVG's updated policy:

"We collect non-personal data to make money from our free offerings so we can keep them free, including:

• Advertising ID associated with your device;
• Browsing and search history, including meta data;
• Internet service provider or mobile network you use to connect to our products; and
• Information regarding other applications you may have on your device and how they are used.

Sometimes browsing history or search history contains terms that might identify you. If we become aware that part of your browsing history might identify you, we will treat that portion of your history as personal data, and will anonymize this information.

Of course, the the ability to collect search history data had also been included in previous privacy policies, but the wording of the new policy update is more clear.

As it typically happens, any non-personal data collected and potentially sold to advertisers will be anonymised, making it impossible to link it back to individual users.

AVG said that the move would help the company keep offering free security services.