Trend Micro claims that data collection is for security purposes

Security company Trend Micro’s software Dr Cleaner, Dr Cleaner Pro, Dr. Antivirus, Dr. Unarchiver, Dr. Battery and Duplicate Finder were found to collect user browsing history and upload it to their servers; Apple has already taken from its app store related applications. The company issued a statement saying that its data collection is one-off and is limited to 24 hours before installation.

Image: By Trend Micro (Официальный сайт Trend Micro) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It claims that data collection is for security purposes, analysing whether users have recently experienced adware or other threats to improve their products and services. At the same time, Trend Micro also stated that these data collection terms are included in the End User License Agreement.

Of course, we all know that as a user we will not go to see the EULA. It may be that the pressure is too high, and the trend then announces the removal of all data collection features, removing all saved user browsing history.

“Trend Micro has completed an initial investigation of a privacy concern related to some of its MacOS consumer products. The results confirm that Dr Cleaner, Dr Cleaner Pro, Dr. Antivirus, Dr. Unarchiver, Dr. Battery, and Duplicate Finder collected and uploaded a small snapshot of the browser history on a one-time basis, covering the 24 hours prior to installation. This was a one-time data collection, done for security purposes (to analyze whether a user had recently encountered adware or other threats, and thus to improve the product & service). The potential collection and use of browser history data was explicitly disclosed in the applicable EULAs and data collection disclosures accepted by users for each product at installation.

We apologize to our community for concern they might have felt and can reassure all that their data is safe and at no point was compromised.”