Question 1

Does Norton sell my personal data?

Accepted Answer

Norton states it does not sell personal data under CCPA's definition. However, it explicitly acknowledges that sharing user, device, and website data with advertising partners for targeted advertising may constitute 'sharing' under CCPA. You can opt out of this sharing via the 'Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information' link on Norton's website or by enabling the Global Privacy Control in your browser.

Question 2

Why does Norton need my Social Security number?

Accepted Answer

Norton collects SSNs specifically for the LifeLock identity theft monitoring service — LifeLock monitors whether your SSN, bank accounts, driver's licence, and other identity documents appear in breach data, dark web markets, or financial fraud patterns. If you're using Norton antivirus without LifeLock, this level of data collection may not apply. Check your specific product's privacy notice for what is collected for your subscription tier.

Question 3

Is Norton safe to use for identity protection?

Accepted Answer

Norton is a professional cybersecurity company with genuine security infrastructure. The core concern is not whether Norton will misuse your SSN internally — it's the breadth of the data it holds combined with US jurisdiction exposure (FISA, NSLs) and the existence of an advertising data business operating alongside the identity protection business. For the highest-sensitivity users, the combination of holding SSN/bank accounts AND sharing user data with advertising partners is a structural concern. For most users, Norton's security practices are adequate for what it offers.

Question 4

What does Norton's network monitoring actually do?

Accepted Answer

For cyber threat intelligence purposes, Norton processes network traffic data including email addresses of malware senders, URLs of malicious websites, IP addresses of threat sources, and filenames of malware. This is used to protect users from phishing, malware, and other threats across the Norton customer base. The policy states processing is only to the extent 'strictly necessary and proportionate' for detecting and mitigating threats — but the scope of what Norton can observe via its security products is substantially broader than most apps.

Question 5

How does Norton compare to other security tools for privacy?

Accepted Answer

Norton (D, 43) grades significantly below AdGuard (B+, 82) because AdGuard filters traffic locally and doesn't see your browsing at all, uses no advertising infrastructure, and collects only email address at signup. Norton's product scope is much broader — antivirus, identity monitoring, VPN, dark web scanning — which justifies some of the additional data collection. But the advertising data sharing, breadth of identity data collected, and vague retention make Norton one of the lower-scoring 'security' products reviewed.

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