https://www.ghacks.net/2012/02/26/avast-7-will-install-googl...

https://searchengineland.com/google-chrome-page-will-have-pa...

https://community.adobe.com/questions-638/adobe-flash-instal...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission

https://www.findmysoft.com/news/google-gets-pushy-with-chrom...

Etc. This stuff was very real and is a ten second search away, maybe try that before accusing parent of having a faulty memory because it doesn’t agree with yours.