A Disturbing Discovery: The Hidden Costs of Antivirus Software

While sorting through my late grandfather’s belongings, I stumbled upon his computer, which I intended to check for any important documents. What should have been a straightforward task turned into a shocking revelation about the state of Software subscriptions, particularly regarding AVG.

From the very start, I was taken aback by how sluggish the computer was, despite its decent specifications. Upon diving into the Task Manager, it became clear that AVG was consuming an alarming amount of system resources—yet it wasn’t effectively performing any significant tasks. I found myself unable to disable certain processes or prevent them from launching at startup. It was apparent that AVG had insidiously embedded itself into the system, drastically impacting its performance.

As I sifted through the emails, I found a barrage of messages from AVG claiming, “we’ve noticed your computer is very slow; subscribe to AVG TuneUp for £45 GBP a year, and we can optimize your computer’s performance.” To me, this read as a thinly veiled ploy: “Pay us to alleviate some of the slowdown we caused.”

My grandfather held multiple subscriptions: AVG Security, AVG TuneUp, AVG VPN—which I highly doubt he ever utilized—and AVG Driver Update. This last subscription baffled me. Why on earth would anyone charge extra for driver updates? Isn’t that typically a fundamental part of maintaining a computer?

To make things worse, I discovered he was also using AVG’s Secure Browser, a program that monopolized system resources. Whenever I tried to access Chrome or Edge, I was redirected to AVG’s warnings about the dangers of using those browsers, suggesting that only AVG Secure Browser could ensure safety from threats.

This whole experience left me feeling outraged. My grandfather was not particularly tech-savvy; he simply wanted to enjoy watching sports and exploring his interest in military history. Instead, he fell victim to a predatory business model, accumulating around £120 GBP (almost $150 USD) in unnecessary subscriptions that ultimately hindered his computer’s performance.

It’s disheartening to think that if someone were to knock on his door and swindle him out of that money, it would be a criminal offense. Yet, companies like AVG operate under the guise of legitimacy, doing the same under the protection of their brand name.

I believe this situation serves as a cautionary tale for all of us. It underscores the need for vigilance about the Software we choose to install and the subscriptions we