AVG's CEO and Chief Policy Officer Author New Book Wide Open Privacy: Strategies for the Digital Life

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AVG Technologies

13 Nov, 2012, 13:21 GMT

AMSTERDAM and SAN FRANCISCO, November 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Groundbreaking book shows consumers how to play offense with their online identity, reputation, and personal brand

AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG), the provider of Internet and mobile security to 143 million active users, announces that its CEO JR Smith and Chief Policy Officer Siobhan MacDermott have authored the book Wide Open Privacy: Strategies for the Digital Life - published by IT- Harvest Press 2012. The book, which reveals how consumers can take proactive control of their online identity, reputation and personal brand, is available starting today online at Amazon and in bookstores across the country.

"Digital privacy has become one of the defining issues of our age," said Smith. "Given today's cluttered, volatile and wiki-speed information environment, we all face daunting challenges in managing our everyday lives online. AVG has a history of disrupting the status quo in the interest of protecting consumers; we had the first freemium security products and the industry's first active Do-Not-Track feature. Reflecting a significant evolution in today's critical questions of privacy and security, Wide Open Privacy moves consumers from mere protection to positive personal strategies to enrich the online experience across all the connected devices of our world."

Neither "idiot's guide" nor academic treatise, Wide Open Privacy responds to urgent consumer demand for better and easier tools to understand and navigate the powerful but potentially treacherous seas of e-commerce, online banking, social media, and cloud content sharing.

"None of us can afford to put our online fate in the hands of government or big business. Neither can guard our most valuable personal information," said MacDermott. "We need to take control of our digital destinies. Wide Open Privacy offers clear strategies and tech-savvy tactics for consumers to achieve the necessary control and to live safer, more productive lives online. These days, individuals need the knowledge that helps them manage their identity and reputation in the digital world. Policy makers and corporations need to empower consumers with policies that acknowledge their right to make their own decisions when it comes to their online reputations, privacy and peace of mind. Until governments and companies deliver that acknowledgment, Internet users need to play offense-hard. Our book helps them step up."

"Privacy is a shared responsibility.  There is a role for laws and regulations; there is a role for self-regulation; and there is a role for consumers to exercise control.  As the public policy debate continues about how best to protect personal data, Wide Open Privacy shows how consumers can exercise control of their digital identities effectively," said Christopher Wolf, Founder and Co-Chair, Future of Privacy Forum and Global Director, Hogan Lovells Privacy and Information Management Practice. "Smith and MacDermott have provided an extremely important contribution to the privacy framework discussion.  This is essential reading for tech-using consumers."

"Wide Open Privacy shows how Internet users can take back control of their digital identities," said Justin Brookman, Director of the Center for Democracy & Technology Project on Consumer Privacy.  "Smith and MacDermott offer a compelling, and sober, analysis of the many threats to privacy in the modern age, but they don't view privacy as a lost cause.  Instead, with a mix of policy analysis and useful tips, they advocate for a user-centric approach to personal data, equally relevant to consumers and business."

JR Smith and Siobhan MacDermott discussing 'Wide Open Privacy - Strategies for the Digital Life' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_kNqFNX1Jw

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About AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG)

AVG's mission is to simplify, optimize and secure the Internet experience, providing peace of mind to a connected world. AVG's powerful yet easy-to-use software and online services put users in control of their Internet experience. By choosing AVG's software and services, users become part of a trusted global community that benefits from inherent network effects, mutual protection and support. AVG has grown its user base to 143 million active users as of September 30, 2012 and offers a product portfolio that targets the consumer and small business markets and includes Internet security, PC performance optimization, online backup, mobile security, identity protection and family safety software.
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