Controversies
- Rogue software (with similar name)
In July 2010, a rogue security program called "Antivir Solution Pro" was reported as a threat; it was probably from a family known as AV Security Suite. This software had nothing to do with nor had any affiliation with Avira, but used a similar name to Avira's software.
- Ask.com toolbar
During summer 2011, Avira updated the Free Edition. After the update, users were required to install the Ask.com toolbar if they wanted to receive the Web Protection feature in the Free Edition. The Ask.com toolbar is often considered to be a malware or spyware.
- Daily 'nag' advertising pop-up
Avira Free Edition has a pop-up asking customers to buy the paid versions on a daily basis. As of 2012, many users have been subjected to repeated 'adware' pop-ups several times a day. This has irritated many users, who have uninstalled Avira and switched to a different antivirus.
- White-listed popups
In April 2012, users of paid versions of Avira started getting pop-ups on their desktop for gambling and phishing websites. The advertising pop-ups could't be disabled at that time since they were sponsored by Avira. This was the first time that a paid antivirus has been classified as adware. However, this was later fixed.
- May 2012 update bug
AntiVirProActiv started blocking several legitimate Windows processes after a file update, preventing the some of the PCs from booting. The problem was fixed through an update on 13 June 2012.
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