Can (and will ?) antiviruses find illegal content on personal computer, and be able report it to anyone ? Videos, text files, pictures, etc. For example, ESET online antivirus.

Antivirus software, including ESET and others, primarily focuses on detecting and preventing malware, viruses, and other security threats. However, they are generally not designed to actively search for or report illegal content like copyright-infringing materials, child exploitation images, or other illegal files stored on personal computers. That said, here are some key points to consider: 1. **Functionality**: Most antivirus programs scan for malware signatures and behaviors, not the content of user files. They may detect certain file types or known illegal content if it matches their database, but their primary purpose is security, not content monitoring. 2. **Legal Compliance**: In some jurisdictions, there may be legal obligations for software companies to report specific types of illegal content if they become aware of it, but this is more applicable to services that operate under strict data retention or reporting laws. Typically, personal antivirus software does not monitor user files in a way that would facilitate this. 3. **Privacy Concerns**: Antivirus programs usually respect user privacy and do not share personal file data with external entities unless required by law or if the user consents. Review the privacy policies of any software you use for specific details. 4. **User Responsibility**: Users are generally responsible for the legality of the content they store on their devices. Organizations may implement their own monitoring solutions that could include scanning for illegal content, but that typically occurs in specific contexts, such as workplace environments. In summary, while it's possible for antivirus software to detect some illegal content under certain circumstances, they are not designed for this purpose, and users typically retain a reasonable level of privacy regarding their files.