Think your free antivirus is safe to use? .... think again

New study shows that most free antivirus venders push crapware and pups in their installs...

Has The Antivirus Industry Gone Mad? | Emsisoft Blog

Well, the fact is nothing is truly free & they have to generate money somehow. Hench the recent uptick in many programs including PUP's & toolbars. You just have to be very careful nowadays when installing anything.

An article I read a while back suggest not using a standard install anymore. Some PUP's are hidden & only show up with an opt out when you use the custom install. Unfortunately, the more shady programs won't even give you the option to opt out. Use caution.