Adware

What is adware?

Adware is any software package, which automatically display advertising material to a computer after the software is install on it or while the application is being used. We can say it is a kind of spyware is often associated with software that displays advertisements

Software programmer use Adware as a way to recover their programming development costs by incorporate or bundle advertising-supported software into their software. Which this Adware add-on to their software, the programmer able to provide their software to end-user free of charge and in return they get advertising income. With the income, this will help the programmer to continue write, support and upgrade the software product. Some adware support software products allow user to pay for the licensed copy to do away the advertisements. We call this adware – shareware.

What is the concern?

Many of us are concern about adware because it often takes the form of spyware, since our activity or information is tracked, reported and often re-sold, this often happen without the knowledge or consent of the user. Other greater concern is malware, which may interfere with the function of other software applications, in order to force users to visit a particular web site. Because of this function, the concepts of adware, spyware and malware are often overlap, and make us confuse. For example, if one user installs "adware" on a computer, and consents to a tracking feature, the "adware" becomes "spyware" when another user visits that computer, and interacts with and is tracked by the "adware" without their consent.

Since spyware collect personal information and transfer them to the third party without user consent or knowledge. This makes some vendors to disclose their program Adware activities which may indicate a clause in their product’s Terms of Use or End User License Agreement (EULA) that third-party software will be included, and may collect and may report on computer use. With this Terms of Use or EULA disclosure means the product is just adware.

There are number of software applications are available to help computer users search for and modify adware programs to block the presentation of advertisements and to remove Spyware modules.

Safe computer tips

Read the privacy and terms of use condition of web site you want to use their software.

Read the Product EULA - use EULAlyzer from Javacool software to analyze license agreements for interesting words and phrases.