A Cautionary Tale: The Unrealized Consequences of Overzealous Security Software

Recently, while sorting through the belongings of my late grandfather, I encountered a situation that left me both shocked and disheartened. As I navigated through his computer—an older model but still serviceable—I was confronted with a significant issue: the device’s performance had sharply declined, and it quickly became clear why.

Upon examining the task manager, I discovered that AVG, a well-known antivirus program, was monopolizing the system’s resources. Despite running slowly, it was evident that several processes were not only resistant to deactivation, but also insisted on launching at startup. This invasive software seemed to have coerced itself into becoming a major bottleneck for the computer’s functionality.

As I sifted through his emails, I stumbled upon notifications from AVG, cleverly disguised as helpful reminders. One particularly disturbing message proclaimed, “We’ve noticed your computer is very slow. For just £45 a year, subscribe to AVG TuneUp, and we will optimize your system’s performance.” To me, this sounded an awful lot like a thinly veiled suggestion: “Pay us to slightly alleviate the issues caused by our own software.”

To my surprise, I discovered my grandfather had multiple subscriptions: AVG Security, AVG TuneUp, AVG VPN (despite the fact that he likely never utilized a VPN), and even AVG Driver Update. It’s worth questioning—who charges extra for driver updates in this day and age? This practice raises serious concerns about how software companies can impose subscription fees for services that should be included in a standard package.

Adding to the frustration, my grandfather had been using AVG’s Secure Browser, which seemed to consume every ounce of system resource available. When I attempted to access Chrome and Edge, I was met with messages from AVG discouraging their use, claiming they were unsafe and urging a switch to the AVG Secure Browser to avoid potential threats. It created a closed loop where the only “safe” option was the very software causing the issues.

Reflecting on this experience, I feel a profound sense of anger. My grandfather—a man of modest technological understanding—wanted nothing more than to enjoy some sports and explore his passion for military history. Instead, he was targeted by an aggressive marketing strategy that racked up a staggering £120 (almost $150 USD) in unnecessary services.

If someone confronted him in person and took that amount of money under deceptive pretenses, we would consider it theft and