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What the Controversies Are
1. Crypto‑mining feature
In 2021 Norton introduced a component called “Norton Crypto” built into Norton 360. It allowed users to mine Ethereum with their idle PCs, but Norton took a 15% fee of earnings.
PYMNTS.com
Critics said the feature was:
Difficult to uninstall or even disable fully for some users.
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Installed (or appeared to install) automatically in some cases, raising consent concerns.
PYMNTS.com
Increasing users’ electricity/energy usage for the benefit of the company.
PYMNTS.com
Norton responded that Norton Crypto is opt‑in only, and can be disabled.
Digital Trends
2. Allegations of aggressive upselling, performance issues & transparency
Forums and user communities have reported issues such as:
The software slowing down computers or interfering with performance.
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Reddit
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“Baked‑in” upgrade prompts / upsells embedded in the product experience.
Norton Community
Support or remote‑access incidents that users considered suspicious or untrustworthy.
Norton Community
3. Privacy / data / business reputation concerns
Additional issues include:
A patent infringement lawsuit: In 2022, Columbia University won a judgment of around US$185 million against NortonLifeLock for willful infringement of antivirus‑related patents.
Wikipedia
Support agent practices and concerns about remote control, unexpected system changes, or insufficient transparency.
Norton Community
Why These Matter
Users invest in security software expecting transparency, protection, and minimal intrusion. Controversies raise trust issues.
Hidden features (or perceived hidden) like crypto‑mining can undermine user control and raise cost/benefit concerns (energy, hardware wear).
Aggressive upselling or performance degradation can reduce value for money and impact user experience.
Legal/ethical issues (like patent infringement) and data/security practices influence brand credibility in the cybersecurity space.
What Norton’s Position / Response Has Been
Norton states Norton Crypto is opt‑in and can be disabled.
Digital Trends
Norton promotes new features such as “AI‑powered scam protection” across its Norton 360 line, implying evolutionary improvement.
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The user complaints persist in community forums, so while Norton addresses some, perception issues remain.
Bottom Line
While Norton 360 remains a well‑known security suite with strong independent malware protection credentials (e.g., AV‑TEST/AV‑Comparatives awards)
Digitalsafetysquad
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, the controversies highlight that even reputable tools can raise user experience and trust questions. If you’re using or considering Norton 360, you may want to:
Review exactly which features have been activated (especially crypto‑mining, VPN, backup).
Monitor system performance and resource usage.
Understand the uninstall/disable process for optional components.
Stay alert to support practices and third‑party remote access.
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