Avast Expands Scam Guardian Globally and Launches Deepfake Guard

Avast Deepfake Guard runs on traditional lower and high-end Windows PCs, bringing advanced scam detection to millions of people across the globe

TEMPE, Ariz. and PRAGUE, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Avast, a leader in digital security and privacy and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), today announced the full international availability of Avast Scam Guardian and Scam Guardian Pro on mobile devices, alongside the launch of Avast Deepfake Guard on Windows PCs, a new AI-powered feature designed to proactively analyze and detect malicious audio in video content. Together, these launches mark a significant expansion of the Avast scam protection ecosystem – extending coverage across mobile and PC, helping protect people wherever scams appear, from text messages to calls and video platforms.

Avast Deepfake Guard is designed to run on Windows PCs*, delivering powerful protection on today's devices while shining on the latest generation of AI PCs from Intel and Qualcomm. By bringing AI-driven deepfake scam detection to devices people already own, Avast is expanding access to advanced protection at a time when scam deepfakes are becoming more convincing and widespread.

"Deepfakes are a serious threat, but they're a symptom of a larger problem: deception," said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. "AI-generated content on its own isn't inherently harmful. The risk comes when scammers use it to create urgency, apply pressure, and take advantage of trust. That's what Avast Deepfake Guard is built for: helping people understand when something may be manipulated and make safer decisions in the moment. By expanding Avast Scam Guardian globally on mobile, we're empowering people worldwide to identify and avoid scam calls, texts and emails with confidence."

As video becomes the default way people learn, communicate, and make decisions, scammers have followed the audience. In Q4 2025, across devices where the new Gen video scam detection was active, Gen Threat Labs detected 159,378 instances of unique deepfake scams that combined manipulated media with clear scam intent, showing how frequently they are being used for fraud. YouTube accounts for the largest share of blocked deepfake-enabled scam videos on PCs, followed by Facebook and then X. Most deepfake scams also appear as part of normal viewing, not as downloads, attachments, or links, meaning they're woven into everyday video consumption and hide in plain sight, making them harder to spot.

Avast Deepfake Guard works to detect these surreptitious scam deepfakes in real time, directly on the device for greater speed and privacy, and warns you before you fall victim.

Deepfake Guard is now included in Avast Premium Security and supports English language video analysis across major platforms including Facebook, DailyMotion, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, Vimeo, X, and YouTube.

For more information, visit https://www.avast.com.

*Deepfake Guard is an opt-in download with manual detection for lower specification PCs running Windows 11, 8GB of RAM and 4 CPU cores. Traditional high-end PCs must run Windows 11 and have a minimum of 16GB of RAM and 6+ CPU cores on their processors.

Disclaimer

Avast Deepfake Guard functionality may vary depending on device type and system capabilities. The feature supports AI PCs powered by Intel^® Core™ Ultra processors, and Qualcomm Snapdragon^® X series chips where automated detection is enabled. On traditional high-end PCs, Deepfake Guard is available with automated detection disabled by default, but people may choose to enable it, acknowledging a minimal potential impact on system performance. On lower-end traditional PCs, Deepfake Guard is not installed by default; people may opt to install the feature, however automated detection is not recommended on these devices due to potential performance impacts.

About Avast
Avast is a leader in digital security and privacy, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Avast protects hundreds of millions of users from online threats, for Mobile, PC or Mac, and is top-ranked and certified by VB100, AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and others. Avast is a member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, No More Ransom and Internet Watch Foundation. Learn more at Avast.com.

SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.