Press releases

Avast at Web Summit 2021: Taking back control of the internet

Avast CEO, Ondrej Vlcek, and Avast Security Ambassador, Garry Kasparov, will discuss how digital freedom can be unlocked for all

Avast CEO, Ondrej Vlcek, and Avast Security Ambassador, Garry Kasparov, will discuss how digital freedom can be unlocked for all


Prague, Czech Republic and Lisbon, Portugal, October 21, 2021 -- Avast (LSE:AVST), a global leader in digital security and privacy, today announced that Ondrej Vlcek, Chief Executive Officer at Avast, and Garry Kasparov, Chess Grandmaster, Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation in New York and Avast Security Ambassador, will discuss how to unlock the potential of the digital world at the annual Web Summit Conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The talk titled “Taking back control of the internet” will take place on November 3rd at 2:00 p.m. Western European Time (Fullstk stage), and will also cover Avast’s mission to establish digital freedom as a fundamental human right.

Since its foundation three decades ago, the free and unlimited space of the world wide web has evolved into a tool that is providing us with advances, yet simultaneously endangering our rights and privacy. It is time to speak up. Digital inequality exists, but few among us have the fortitude to discuss it. Ondrej Vlcek and Garry Kasparov will address these issues and discuss how the internet must be changed to fit our society.

On November 4th at 3:40 p.m. WET Garry Kasparov will also participate in a fireside chat (Contentmakers Stage) to discuss his role as a consultant on the hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. He will be joined by an industry expert who will contribute to the discussion about bringing stories to life on screen. Prior to that, at 10:00 p.m. Garry Kasparov will also play a simultaneous chess exhibition (Q&A Stage) with 10 selected participants of the conference.

About Garry Kasparov, Avast Security Ambassador
Garry Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion in history in 1985 and was the world's top-rated player for 20 years. He first discovered the potential of AI during his famous matches against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue. Ever since, he’s spoken about future tech, most recently as Avast's security ambassador. His matches against arch-rival Anatoly Karpov and Deep Blue popularized chess and machine intelligence in unprecedented ways.

About Ondrej Vlcek, Avast CEO

Ondrej Vlcek serves as Chief Executive Officer for Avast. Together with his senior management team, he executes on Avast’s vision to deliver people-centric security and spearheads the Company's product innovation program for emerging consumer technology categories, including AI and identity protection. Previously, he held the combined position of Executive Vice-President & General Manager, Consumer, and Chief Technology Officer. In this role, he led Avast’s transformation from a traditional PC antivirus vendor to the leading provider of a full portfolio of protection, privacy, and performance products for consumers.