We stand up for
the protection
of your privacy.
CUIC stands for Consumers United in Court. CUIC stands up for the protection of privacy and data of consumers.
CUIC stands for Consumers United in Court. CUIC stands up for the protection of privacy and data of consumers.
The original and prevailing text of this website is the Dutch version. Any discrepancies or
differences created in the English translation are not binding and have no legal effect.
The CUIC Foundation's mission is to enforce privacy and the right for data protection. CUIC will
conduct strategic class actions against any public or private actor violating these rights. This
way, we want to enforce privacy and not just leave it as nice words on paper. Furthermore, we work
to raise awareness about privacy in a world where technology becomes increasingly dominant in our
everyday life.
CUIC is an independent non-profit organization. This means that we act for or on behalf of consumers
and have no commercial interests. We litigate in the Netherlands under collective action legislation. CUIC is an initiative of Privacy
First and None of Your Business (noyb), two leading privacy organizations that have been
successfully fighting and litigating to ensure an actual data protection for many years.
Want to read more?
Do you have or did you have Avast anti-virus software on your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone
at any time between 2014 and 30 January 2020?
Avast provides a world-famous anti-virus software. Especially 'security extensions' for browsers
(Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge) and browsers. To offer your 'maximum security', Avast promoted
that you turn on these virus filters.
Avast's applications stopped viruses. However, at the same time they collected a huge amount of
user data. Avast's US subsidiary Jumpshot sold this user data to anyone willing to pay for
it.
So, instead of protecting you, Avast harvested your data to sell on to third parties. Your data can
now roam everywhere and be used for many purposes you were not made aware of
We will hold Avast accountable for this gross violation of privacy.
Join us here
Here you can see what point we are at in the collective action against Avast. At every new step in the procedure, we will update the timeline above.
We invited Avast to enter into discussions about their behavior and seek an amicable solution for all affected parties so that legal proceedings might be avoided. Avast replied that it did not want to enter into negotiations.
Since the invitation for consultation did not yield the desired result, we will go to court and we filed our writ of summons on March 27, 2024. In order to be strong already at the court case starts, we are calling on as many people as possible who live(d) in the Netherlands to join us. Did you have an Avast browser extension with anti-virus software between 2014 and January 2020 Then sign up for this case. sign up for this case.
In the period from 2014 to 30 January 2020, did you have Avast anti-virus software on your computer, tablet, phone or laptop or were you using Avast's internet browsers and/or internet browser extensions? Then join our collective action: we demand compensation for those duped by Avast's privacy breaches. This is on a no cure, no pay basis: therefore, if you do not receive compensation, joining costs you nothing. In this way, you are also helping to ensure that companies act more fairly: no use of your data without your knowledge and consent, and no misuse of user data for your own gain. Not now and not in the future. Through lawsuits like this, we want companies to not only hear this but also feel it, financially and in their reputation.
As a collective, we take on companies and organizations for privacy violations. We claim compensation for those whose privacy has been compromised and try to modify the behavior of companies and organizations in breach of privacy regulations permanently. For justice and a data-safe world, in other words.
To participate in the collective action against Avast, you must live or have lived in the
Netherlands in the period 2014 - 30 January 2020 (the “Relevant Period”).
You must have had one of the following browsers or browser extensions with Avast anti-virus software
on your computer or that of your children in the Relevant Period: Avast Online Security, AVG Online
Security, Avast Secure Browser, AVG Online Security extension and the AVG Secure Browser.
CUIC Foundation aims to make participation free of charge. We believe that users of Avast antivirus
software should be compensated in the event of successful proceedings. The up-front costs of the
case are financed by an independent litigation funder, Omni Bridgeway, on a 'no cure no pay' basis. Only if the case succeeds, Omni Bridgeway is
entitled to a percentage of the compensation to be received by the victims with a maximum of 25%. If
the case does not succeed, you will not owe anyone anything.
For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions.
CUIC Foundation contracted two Dutch law firms to help us in the court case against Avast: Lemstra Van der Korst and Pels Rijcken. For more information, see Lemstra Van der Korst and Pels Rijcken.
CUIC is an independent non-profit foundation. For each lawsuit, we seek one or more ethical funders
that are willing to advance the costs of the research, lawsuit and assume the risk. For our first
lawsuit against Avast, we are supported by Omni Bridgeway. They have supported numerous class
actions against large organizations and companies that have been responsible for mass damages.
Read more at Omni
Bridgeway's website.
See more on this under the heading 'more about our approach'.
Privacy is a fundamental right that has never been more important to protect. The speed in which
development of technological possibilities allow damaging violations faster and with more impact
than ever before. Suppose a stranger asks you to hold your phone for a moment and sees and uses all
your emails, photos, messages, connections, interests and apps to his own benefits, mainly selling
them to anyone who wants them. Including sexual preferences or orientation, health and religious
beliefs. This is in fact what happens all too often. We find this an extremely uncomfortable idea.
You have the fundamental right to be protected from such far-reaching data recording, trafficking in
your data, and ramshackle data security by companies and the government. Unfortunately, that right
is still too often violated. CUIC fights for these rights and discourages (potentials) violators. We
hold companies accountable for this, to make them and others stop violating these fundamental
rights.
Collective action is gaining ground in the Netherlands. This is necessary because many organizations
regard privacy as a nuisance instead of a fundamental right. Your right not to be digitally tracked
everywhere, digitally as well as physically, for example; or the right not to have your data traded,
is too often fiddled with. It is almost impossible for individual consumers to effectively protect
their privacy. Legislation makes collective action possible and with it we want to make companies
that don't want to listen feel it. We do this through strategic litigation.
CUIC subscribes to the Claim Code. This is a governance code for foundations whose aim is to
represent collective interests. The Claim Code ensures that our conduct aligns with the interests of
those affected by privacy infringements; it guarantees that CUIC puts the interests of the
collectively disadvantaged first.
Read more
We use IDin identification for the login process. IDin runs through banks, but we get absolutely no
bank details. Why did we choose IDin? Similar court cases have shown that the courts look closely at
whether someone applying for a class action lawsuit really exists and lives in the Netherlands. We
do not want to run the risk of our case against Avast breaking down on this. With
IDin, it is possible to conclusively
prove that everyone who registers is actually a person living in the Netherlands
resident in the Netherlands.
In addition, as a foundation, we have the highest standards of privacy. By using
IDIN, we do not store your data. We only store the fact that you are identified. This way
we have proof of your support, but not all kinds of personal data somewhere.We
currently see this as the safest way of working, and the most economical in the amount of
data we ask/store.
In fairness, we did find this a dilemma: as secure as it is, we understand that not
everyone is comfortable with IDin being run by banks. In addition, there are
some banks that do not support IDin for their customers, because it demands a lot from them
in security and too few customers use it.
For those unable or unwilling to use IDin verification, we offer another solution. You can then apply via a form (the 'Participant Agreement without IDin'). You can obtain this by sending an email to info@cuic.eu stating that you want to sign up without IDin. We will then send you via e-mail the form that you can complete, sign and mail or post to us. send. Naturally, we will handle your data with extreme care, as you can also read in our privacy statement
Do you have other questions about the application? Or about other topics? Then take a look at the FAQ on our website, or send your question to info@cuic.eu