Quick decision
I'm worried antivirus itself is spying on me
You've read about antivirus companies selling browsing data, injecting ads, or sharing telemetry with third parties. You don't know whether the cure is worse than the disease.
The concern is legitimate. Some AV products have had documented privacy issues. The answer isn't to go without protection — it's to choose products with clean track records and transparent privacy policies.
F-SecureFits if this is your primary concern. Finnish company, GDPR-native, documented no-data-selling stance. Narrower product scope means less telemetry surface by design.
Go to F-Secure
ESETMakes more sense if you want stronger detection alongside privacy credentials — Slovak company, EU jurisdiction, no US intelligence-sharing obligations. Cleaner telemetry history than US-headquartered competitors.
Go to ESET© 2026 Softplorer