- File sharing apps may host files containing malware
- Box and WeTransfer offer virus scanning only with paid plans
- News comes as UK seeks to strengthen proactive analysis of illegal content
Have you been diligently using the free versions of Dropbox, Box or WeTransfer to exchange files for Christmas gifts or New Year holiday ideas?
If so, you may want to think twice before clicking the “Download” button next time, as these free services may host files containing viruses or malware, making you more likely to download or share harmful content without realizing it.
The warning comes from Surfshark, one of the best VPNs, which recently conducted an in-depth analysis of six very popular file sharing apps, only to find that most of them do not scan downloaded files for viruses or malware.
Most Free File Sharing Apps Could Be Malware Traps
According to Surfshark’s findings, Box and WeTransfer offer virus scanning only with paid plans, while Dropbox and iCloud do not perform any scanning. iCloud relies on Apple device security for malware scanning – a useless feature if running on Windows.
These underline the eternal reminder: reputation does not always go hand in hand with security – especially for applications that collectively serve an astonishing four billion active users.
Martynas Dainys, senior manager of VPN services at Surfshark, notes that while some of these larger operators have the necessary technological capabilities, they consistently choose to neglect security features simply because they don’t generate direct revenue.
The VPN specialist sums up the dilemma in a concise mantra: “If you don’t pay for a service, you often become the product yourself. »
It warns users to place appropriate trust in these applications: ultimately, any upload or download operation represents a potential access point that can compromise security, especially when using their free versions.
“Ultimately, it’s up to users to make informed decisions about the level of risk they are willing to tolerate with their data.”
While it’s obvious that using a VPN with built-in antivirus would reduce much of the risk of malware or possible leaking of private information, it’s nonetheless notable that these apps seek to address these security issues through their paid plans, offering much better protection.
For example, Box’s upgraded service offers both anti-virus and anti-ransomware scanning, WeTransfer comes with anti-virus scanning, and Dropbox offers anti-ransomware protection.
Perhaps more interestingly, Google Drive and Microsoft’s OneDrive are currently the only platforms that perform virus scanning when uploading or downloading files for free users, although Google limits virus scanning to files under 100MB.
Violation of privacy by mass analysis?
Surfshark’s discovery comes just as UK regulator Ofcom shares plans to double file surveillance in 2026 as part of an extension of the Online Safety Act.
A process already started in 2025, which requires file-sharing companies and other user-to-user services to take greater responsibility for files shared on their platforms in an effort to stop the sharing of child sexual abuse (CSAM) and other illegal content.
Yet Surfshark is among experts warning that these analytics requirements could create enormous privacy risks by allowing external entities, including businesses and the government, access to users’ entire digital lives.
While it’s not unreasonable to expect controls on shared content, this move becomes a serious privacy issue when it extends to everyone’s private files — especially for services like Dropbox or cloud backup platforms that are mostly widely used for storing personal files.
Additionally, scanning systems often make errors. “Massive, universal scanning of all files shared between people would be an unprecedented expansion of the powers of mass surveillance, leading to many false positives and flagging of content from innocent people,” said James Baker of Open Rights Group.
Regardless of the regulations, the indisputable truth remains: using your own antivirus software increases the protection of your device. Because we might well suspect that the day we start entrusting the health of our files to cloud servers could also be the day we lose control of our private lives.
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