Usage Policies
Using a virtual private network ("VPN") is like going incognito on the Internet. We offer VPN services that allow you to use the Internet anonymously and securely from anywhere in the world. While we respect your privacy and take strict measures to protect it, this does not necessarily mean that you are completely anonymous to us.
In this section of the VPN Policy, we would like you to know what personal data we collect from you or you provide to us when you use our VPN services.
We treat this data differently than we do other applications because it can be so sensitive in nature, so we want you to have a clear understanding of how we treat it, on what legal basis, whether we transfer or disclose it, and how long we retain it, in accordance with applicable laws.
Collection and use of personal data
Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, and includes information you provide to us while using our VPN services.
More specifically, we may collect and process data about you in the following cases:
Account creation and management
If you create an account with us (note: this is required in order for you to use some of our applications or some of their features), we will need information about you. This is the data created and stored for the management of your account:
| Account information | What we use them for |
| E-mail address | To send you purchase receipts, occasional product news and communications |
| User Name | To manage your account and facilitate your login to the service |
| License key | To activate your subscription |
| Subscription renewal date | To find out how long the account is valid |
| Test user | To add a trial period before the account is charged |
All of the above data is stored for as long as you use our service, as it is necessary for us to provide it. You can view all of this data by logging into our Privacy Preferences Portal.
Service data of our VPN servers
If you use our VPN Service, we collect strictly the minimum amount of information necessary to provide and operate our VPN Service and to keep it running securely and efficiently. This is the data we collect to ensure that our VPN infrastructure is working ("Service Data"):
| Service data | What we use them for |
| Timestamps of your connections | To manage the number of concurrent active connections and manage abuse.
Example: We use them to stop brute-force password cracking attempts on user accounts. |
| The subnet of your source IP address.
For example, we anonymize the last octet to protect your privacy: 92.143.234.000 We do not collect exact IP addresses that can identify you. |
To plan for increased demand and network capacity.
Example: Help us decide whether to add servers in a region if we see an increase in demand, or help us troubleshoot problems with a specific ISP. |
| IP address of the VPN server you are using. | To troubleshoot our service and plan for new network capacity.
Example: Identify when an IP address suddenly does not work to access certain services and act to resolve the problem. |
| Amount of data transmitted
E.g. 5 GB upstream or downstream |
Plan for new network capacity and server upgrades.
Example: We can deploy more capacity to meet demand and ensure that speeds remain high for all users. |
We store this data on servers for 30 days, after which it is gradually deleted, so data created on January 3 will be deleted on February 2, for example.
Data we do not collect in our VPN service. Period
We do not collect, store or record any of the following data:
- Any source IP address that can identify you.
- Any DNS queries while you are online. We use our own secure DNS servers, so your queries are also protected from exposure to third parties.
- Any record of activity: the applications you use, the services you use, the websites you connect to, basically anything you do online.
VPN customer service data
To ensure that our VPN clients do their job correctly and to improve them, we need to know how people, as a whole, interact with them. This data corresponds to interactions carried out in the application and cannot be used to find out how you are using the VPN service.
| Customer data | What we use them for |
| Operating system version
E.g. Windows 10 |
For user support, troubleshooting and product development planning
Example: Which platforms do our users like to use the most? |
| Avast SecureLine VPN version
E.g. SecuReline for Android version 4.1 |
For user support, troubleshooting and product development planning
Example: Is our latest update being implemented well? |
| Application events
E.g. Automatic connection activation, uninstallation, etc. You can exclude this in the configuration. |
To plan product development
Example: Is a new feature we have introduced for the customer becoming popular? Are people uninstalling the application after our latest release? |